> The Dark Lord of the Everfree
>  by The Crimson Reaper
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Prologue: The Unexpected Departure
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Another boring day, just like the one before it, and the one before that... the joys of a bachelor's daily grind. However, it does pay for my books, so I guess I'll just have to bear it." I think to myself, as I arrive at the nondescript door of my small apartment. 

As I fumble with the keys, half-heatedly looking for the right key I take a good long look at my current state of affairs, and find them wanting. I have a job that barely pays for rent, never mind my other necessities. Somehow, I still put enough aside to facilitate my one joy; reading. 

Going through the monotonous motions of a typical afternoon I wander over to a small closet in the living room, prying open the flimsy, musty smelling door, Im greeted with my surprisingly elaborate collection of books. Each story a dear friend to me, well read and worn by years of use. 

Gliding my hand over each shelf bursting at the seams with literary works, I stop over a simple brown leather cover with elaborate symbols etched upon the worn cover, "Ah yes, J. R.R. Tolkien, your works are much appreciated in my hour of need." I muse to myself as I remove the book from its home and take a deep seat in the conveniently placed armchair positioned to the left of the closet. 

My only refuge from the difficulties of the world resided in my books and so, with a content smile on my face, I settle in and open the book to the first page...


----------


Something had changed...but I couldn't put my finger on it... Then it hit me; Im no longer in my apartment.  Struck dumb by this revelation, I look around with a dull gaze, not understanding what my eyes where showing me. This was impossible, is this a dream? It should not be possible that I should find myself in this dark forest in the middle of the day. Was it not late afternoon not a moment ago? 

I rise from my armchair and take stock of my situation. Currently, I appear to be deep within a thick forest in a clearing of some sort. My only possessions are in fact my armchair, the book in my hands, the clothes on my back, the gold ring on my forefinger, and a canvas satchel bag that I have never seen befo-wait, a gold ring? Im not married, why would I have a gold ring? Oh...and it looks like Im in the middle of the worst blizzard I've ever seen...great.

Shivering in the now freezing air, I raise my hand to better inspect the new item worn on my right hand. I am assured that it is indeed a gold ring, unadorned and plain, however, to my immense surprise the ring begins to glow a fiery emerald, which reveals a flowing script that seems to have been written along the band of the ring. It is this flowing glowing script that sparks an ember of familiarity in my mind, "now where have I seen this writing before?" I softly muse to myself, my increasing panic kept at bay by my overwhelming curiosity.

After a moment or so of searching the deep recesses of my jumbled thoughts, one rings true, and I am both confused and amazed by its findings, "this is Elvish, written in the manner of the Black Speech of Mordor...I have the One Ring on my finger!" 

Amazed by my findings I look closer at the ring, confirming the details of it with the exception of the emerald coloring, it is truly an exact replica of the infamous One Ring, worn by Sauron, the Lord of the Rings. 

However, I am interrupted in my thoughts by a quiet yet firm voice from behind me, "Yes, it is the One Ring, reforged and remade. What you do with this power, is entirely up to you my friend."

I whirl around to face the voice, and standing there in front of me is a woman, but she is the most beautiful woman I had ever seen in my life. The snow and chilling wind all whirl around her like a pair of angel's wings, making her beauty rival that of the gods. And like any smart person, I stare at her blankly, mouth open in awe. 

"Hello there ma'am, who are you? And would you possibly be able to answer the many questions that I have for my current predicament?" is what I planned to say, however, what actually came out of my mouth was more of a drawn out monotone, "Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuhhhhhh."

After my eloquent introduction, the mysterious lady giggles in response to my antics, "I can guess from the look in your eyes you have questions?"

"Ahem, yes." I reply, "I do have questions, namely; who are you, and where am I?"

"You are in a land called Equestria, in the Everfree forest. This land also went by another name in the past; 'Middle earth.'" At the mention of the name my eyes widen with surprise. "It is now the eve of the third age of Middle earth. With the birth of a fourth age now has brought forth an eternal winter."

"As for who I am, that is unimportant. However know this, I am your benefactor and I have gifted you the ring of power. Now I leave you to your own devices and you may do what you will." She smiles warmly as she explains to me the land I have found myself in.

"The ring has gifted you with powers that the Lord of the Rings once wielded. You are now its master just as how Sauron was its master before you. It will not betray you and like your predecessor, it will seek you out should it be separated from you." 

While she explains I gaze upon the ring once more, and I swear I can hear faint whispers at the edge of my hearing. If this is the one ring, wouldn't it corrupt me like it did so many others?  I turn to her and ask, "But what of its power to corrupt, to twist its users into creatures unnatural, like Gollum?"

"As a true master of the ring, it will not corrupt you. You are safe from any ill effects that it may bring upon those that would take it by force." In light of this I am relieved, and I then turn back to glance at the satchel sitting in a snowdrift next to my beloved armchair. 

"And what of that satchel? I know I don't own one. Another one of your gifts?" I look back to her in askance.

"Yes, it contains some basic things to assist you on your adventures. Also, I have made sure to put a book or two in their for you, write your own stories if you so wish." With that, my mysterious benefactor leaves me a final piece of advice for me before she would take her leave.

"Ah yes, and one more thing before I am to go. The nearest settlement is called Frosty Fringe, its inhabitants are...well to say not exactly people..." She goes on to explain about the current inhabitants of this world, the ponies.

As she finishes explaining, I softly say; "Thank you, for everything." 

"Of course, I know how hard its been for you. I just hope that you can live life as you see fit, and live it well." She says, suddenly coming forward to give me an unexpected hug, "Oh and before I forget," she murmurs into my ear, "In the near future there will come two fillies of wing and horn, please, take care of them. They will need you at their lowest moment. That is my only charge to you. Go forth Wanderer, I leave you to your journey."  With a bright flash of light, the lady is gone, and I am left alone in the clearing with the snow howling around me. Giving my beloved couch a pat, and packing up my things, I turn to the north, and walk on....
> Chapter One: Manticores and Chimeras and Bugbears Oh My!
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Present Day





As I watch the sun rise from the top of a sea of trees that is the Everfree, I smile as I recall that fateful day when I first arrived. 

"Perfect as always, Celestia." I mutter to myself. Being alone for the past dozen millennium or so without much in the way of conversation with anyone tends to make one talk to themselves to fill the gap.

After a good moment or so of observing the celestial body make it's gradual climb to the sky, I make my descent from the treetops. Once I arrived at the forest floor, I picked up my satchel; a faithful(and magically indestructible) companion that has seen me through these long years. 

Turning towards the direction of my home, I begin to walk through the forest, following little roads left by the passing of animals and crossing the occasional stream. Each tree is familiar to me, each river from beginning to end burned into my mind. I used to have a map, but after being here for so long I no longer required it. After crossing one final creek, and skirting around a particularly large tree I finally arrive at my humble little dwelling; marked by a round green door built into the side of a hill. For all intents and purposes it was a literal hole in the ground. It wasn't a nasty, damp, smelly hole, but a Hobbit hole; albeit modified to my size, and that means comfort. 

"Bilbo Baggins, you had the right idea about what a home should be like." I muse to myself as I approach the out-of-place, picturesque little garden gate. 

Pulling open the little gate, I walk down the small river stone paved path to the door, opening it with care and slipping inside with a content smile on my face. The inside is quaint, a little cramped, but homely and welcoming. I hang my hooded cloak and my satchel on the pegs I built next to the door. Turning to the left I meander down the hall and arrive at the cozy little fireplace, and without further ado, I sink into my armchair. It may have taken the better part of my extensive time here in Equestria, but it was well worth the effort to teach myself how to make all this.

"Methinks I might take a nap....after all, I have all the time in the world..." and with that pleasant thought I lean deeper into my chair, lean my head back, and drift off to sleep, dreaming of times gone by.


----------



POV: Cutie Mark Crusaders-Third Person



Now, at the edge of the forest, three little fillies tentatively made their first few steps into the forest. They knew that they we're forbidden from entering this ominous woodland, but they were desperate in their need.

"Girls, ah think we should turn back, mah big sis said that the Everfree forest is dangerous!" exclaimed the filly with a yellow coat and red bow.

"Aw don't be like that Applebloom, its not that bad. Besides, you got me here, the one and only Scootaloo; number one apprentice to Rainbow Dash!" boasted the filly known as Scootaloo, her purple mane waving in the faint breeze.

"I agree with Scoots, didn't our big sisters and their friends go in here not too long ago? When they had to get the elements remember? They came back fine." concurred the third companion, her pristine white coat a sharp contrast against the muted dark colors of the forest.

Marching into the forest, the little fillies began to chatter and joke among themselves, trying to keep brave in the overbearing darkness of the forest, where the sheer number of trees all but suffocated any light that would find itself under the dark branches. As these crusaders wandered deeper and deeper into the forest, the darker and more ominous the forest seemed. Eventually there was naught but a dim glow provided only by various odd looking flora that would glow a muted shade of blue. 

"Girls, ah don't think we're alone..." said Applebloom with a worried glance to the trees around the path, "it feels like were being watched."

"Don't be such a scaredy-pony Applebloom, you've got me and Sweetiebelle over here to keep you safe." Scootaloo said while puffing up her chest, the essence of tomboyish boldness.

"Ah know Scoots, but still...its kinda creepy bein here, its not even night yet and its so dark!" the scared filly answered, "Why where we here again?" 

"You don't remember Applebloom? We're here to get our 'Monster-Catching-Cutiemarks!' Everyone knows that the Everfree has monsters in it, so we're here to catch one!" exclaims Sweetiebelle. 

With that they continue to wander farther down the forest path, unaware of the glowing yellow eyes glaring at them from the darkness...which are then joined by another pair of glowing yellow orbs, then another, and another.....


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POV: ???-First Person


With a start I wake from my nap, something is happening. My sixth sense, honed over millennium, is telling me, screaming at me, that there is something sinister afoot. I suddenly climb out of my armchair, and rapidly walk to the front door, throwing it open and then standing there on the threshold, ears straining to hear in the darkness...nothing. Sighing to myself, I turn back and take a step back inside-THERE! I hear a faint voice on the wind, for a moment I mistook it for the wind itself. I run back outside and cup my hands to my ears, desperately searching for that faint voice. There it is again! It sounds young, and panicked. Suddenly, a howl cuts through the forest, signalling the beginning of a hunt. Without further ado, I step smartly to my coat and satchel, grabbing my lovingly carved blackthorn shillelagh on the way out and closing the green door to my home with nervous haste. 

"Lord above, I hope Im not too late." I mutter to myself as I jog at a good clip as I home in on the panicked screaming, and the ominous howling.


POV: Cutie Mark Crusaders-Third Person(A few minutes before)


"What was that!?" squeaked out Applebloom as a rustle in the bushes nearby shatters the tense atmosphere of the once silent forest.

"I-I don't k-know Appleb-bloom, a s-s-squirrel maybe?" stammers Sweetiebelle, now unsure in their task, and now scared of what the shadows might hide in this gloomy yet hostile forest. 

"It was nothing, lets keep going! Im excited to catch my first monster!" said Scootaloo, always the bravest of the three.

"G-girls, I think we should head home, I don't think this is s-such a good idea anym-" Sweetiebelle's frightened words are interrupted by a harsh growling.

The three little crusaders freeze in their tracks, they search infront of them frantically with their eyes, but find nothing... only to hear a growl behind them! They whip around, eyes glued in fear to the source of the harsh growling. Two glowing yellow eyes glare out at them from the bushes behind them, to add onto their mounting horror, those eyes come closer, revealing the owner of these glowing orbs filled with unspeakable hunger; a timberwolf inches out from the bushes, growling hungrily, its jaws drooling sap from between its sharpened teeth.

"Clever girl..." mutters Applebloom.

"RUUUUUUUUUUUUUUN!!!!" screams Scootaloo, running off into the dark depths of the forest.

Galvanized into action by her scream, her two friends bolt, running away screaming for their lives, all the while being chased down by a sea of glowing yellow eyes. To top off on this fear cocktail that these poor fillies were experiencing, they heard a singular howl, signalling the start of the chase...
> Chapter Two: A Grand Day Out...
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


POV:???-First Person


Crashing through the forest, I beat branches and outreaching bushes away with my shillelagh, my fear for the panicked young voices lending wings to my feet. After leaping over a root and sliding under a fallen log, another howl cuts viciously through the air. To make matters worse, the sun had begun to set, casting the forest in deeper darkness.

"By all that is Holy, let me not be too late." I mutter to myself again and again as the howls and screaming grow louder and louder.

As the screaming and howling grows to its loudest point, I burst into a clearing and bear witness to a grim scene: The timberwolves, a whole pack, are gathered around a tree frantically scrabbling at the smooth bark, snapping at whatever was concealed in the branches. The source of the screaming now revealed to be three little fillies, backs pressed up against the trunk of the tree and perched on one of the lowest branches. One of the fillies, the one with a bright white coat, now dirtied by tree sap, seemed to be unconscious, and the one with the red bow perched crookedly on her frazzled mane looked to be injured, with a gash on its flank. Timberwolf sap is dangerous if it got into wounds, and it looks like the young filly got either clawed or bit by one of them. Taking stock of the situation I weighed my options, I could fight the wolves, but that would be a risky endeavor that might result in injury for me, and I only had enough Barkbile potion for a single dose. I could use my powers... but that would scare the fillies, and if I did save them they would run away screaming, and I would have to move again... 

I sigh in resignation, "Guess I'll have to be ready to move again, a shame...I was starting to really like this forest." I think to myself as I shove my hand into my pocket, and slip on the ring. 

As soon as the ring settles on my finger, the familiar surge of power erupts from deep within me. My cloak begins to flutter in a non-existent breeze, my eyes burn with emerald fire, whisps of bright green flame flickering out from the corners of my eyes. With my hood up, my face is in shadow, with naught but my eyes that burn with an unnatural flame. I raise my gloved hand, fingertips alight with emerald flame. 

"Leave this forest, this is a fight you cannot win."  I state with a soft voice, its menacing undertones rippling underneath the surface promising doom and despair.

My voice is bolstered by the power of the Ring, deepening and darkening its tones and timbre. Like a rolling thunder, it rumbles across the clearing, punctuated by the sound of a flock of birds taking flight in fear of my voice. With each word the sky darkens faster, and shadow gathers around me, adorning me in a cloak of midnight. I take a step forward, and that is all the timberwolves need before they flee, yipping and whining in deep mortal fear into the forest. 

With a sigh I remove the ring; the shadows dissipate, and the moon shines a beam light down into the clearing, the tension and fear of before fades away like a dream. I remove my hood as I look up to the two fillies, wide eyed and open mouthed, staring in awe at what had just transpired. Hoping for the best, I gave them my most winning smile, and spoke to the first ponies I had ever spoken to in millennia.


POV: Cutie Mark Crusaders-Third Person(a minute or so before)


The howls where getting closer, the pack of glowing eyes getting ever closer through the darkness. The three little crusaders ran, fleeing for their lives. As they blindly ran through the bushes, panting and gasping desperately for air, they stumble into a clearing, with a singular tree in the center. 

"What now girls!? They're right behind us!" yelled Applebloom, collapsed on the ground in exhaustion.

"I dont know, I dont know! Where do we go!?" squeaked out Scootaloo, her normally boyish voice now replaced with a panicked squeaking.

"There, the tree! We can hide from them there!" exclaimed Sweetiebelle, pointing her hoof to the tree in question. 

As the three girls approached the tree in question(who's name was Gerald), one problem made itself quite apparent; the lowermost branches were well out of their reach.

"Aw fiddlesticks, we can't reach!" Applebloom moaned, trying to jump up to the lowermost branch in vain. 

"wait, I got an idea. Hope this works." said Sweetiebelle.

With that the little filly drew up on her meager reserves of magic, and used the one spell she knew; levitation. She strained her magic to the limit and with a light blue hue about her friends and herself, she slowly lifted them up to the lowest branch. As soon as they had touched down on the branch, Sweetiebelle's horn sparked and fizzled, signalling the magical backlash that knocked her out senseless. 

"Sweetiebelle!" her friends shouted out, fearing for her wellbeing. 

They had little time to say much more, however, as the timberwolf pack burst into the clearing. After a moment of looking around they spotted the trio up in the tree, and proceeded to try and climb up after them. Fortunately for the fillies, Gerald prided on his silky smooth bark, which now confounded the efforts of the wolves. Much to Gerald's displeasure these ruffians were marking up his beautiful bark and he wished that they would just go away. His prayers where answered in the form of a cloaked figure, upright and bipedal, bursting into the clearing from the opposite end. 

A pregnant pause settles on the clearing, all eyes staring uncertainly at the newcomer to this precarious situation. The stranger looks to the fillies, then to the timberwolves. After a moment of silence, the stranger seemed to slouch, its expression unreadable under its deep hood. Then, without hesitation, it puts a hand into a pocket on its side, grasping something within. Suddenly, there is a shift in the clearing as the sky darkens considerably, shadows lengthen, and seem to converge to the strange figure, cloaking it in darkness, from the dim recesses of its hood burst forth a pair of fiery eyes with burning emerald flames. 

At this point in time both the fillies and the timberwolves are both equally fearful of this hellish creature, spewing forth emerald flames from both its supposed "face" and its fingertips, and along the hem of its cloak. To add to this already horrifying apparition, it raises a hand enshrined with flame, and from the depths of its hooded cloak booms forth a voice; rich and guttural, its tongue like the crack and boom of rolling thunder as the very earth shuddered at its words;

"Deparav avhiuk foreukav, avhiuk iuk noav ij fighav lat saib accompliukh!" Thundered the creature, though unable to understand, they all knew its meaning well enough; "Leave, flee, fly you fools! Lest ye be dragged screaming into the dark..."

Without a second's hesitation, the timberwolves ran, they ran as if all of Tartarus chased after them. Silence once again reigned over the clearing. The fillies, frozen in abject terror, stare in awe and amazement of their terrifying savior. After a moment or so, the shadows fade and moonlight filters through the trees into the clearing, with a blink the two ponies realized that the stranger had removed a glowing green ring of some sort, and now looked as it did when it first entered the clearing. To the girls surprise, the stranger then pulled back its hood, revealing a strange creature with a shock of black hair on its head, a furless face with a small nose, and its eyes, green like the most beautiful emerald gems, yet they glowed with a warm and comforting light, it kind of reminded them of Celestia.

"Hello little ones, are you alright?" a stallions voice cuts through the tense silence, and it takes a minute for the fillies to realize that the creature had spoken.

"W-what?" stammered Scootaloo, her teeth chattering a rapid tempo.

"I said, are you alright? Your friend seems to be unconscious, magic backlash I believe, and your other friend seems to have been clawed by a timberwolf." replied the stranger, his voice calming and comforting. "I have Barkbile potion to treat her wounds, and your unicorn friend needs rest if she is to recover. My home is not far from here, I can treat you to some vegetable soup if your feeling hungry." 

"What are you?" Applebloom asks, finally finding her voice.

"Me? Well, I guess I am a Human, though not in the traditional sense. Do you need any help getting down from there?" as he spoke, the stranger had walked up to the trunk, and now his height was made apparent as his head was level with the branch that the fillies had taken refuge in. 

"Um, I think we might need some help," said Scootaloo while rubbing the back of her head sheepishly, "we didn't really have a plan on how we were gonna get down." 

"In that case, allow me to assist." 

And with that, the stranger gently plucked Scootaloo from the tree branch, and softly set her down on the forest floor. She was then soon joined by Applebloom and a comatose Sweetiebelle. Brushing off his hands, the mysterious savior turned to his satchel at his side and fished around, the clinking of glasses and rustling items unknown filling the air, until with a triumphant "aha!" he whipped out a small glass vial of swirling forest green and earthen brown liquid.

"Here we are; one vial of Barkbile." he then presented the vial to Applebloom, "please drink all of this while I look in my bag for some bandages."

"Isn't this gonna taste yucky? Mah sis once fed me some medicine and it tasted awful." asked Applebloom while staring curiously at the slowly swirling colors. 

"Ah, I thought you might ask that, to be honest," the stranger pauses in his search to lean down and whisper to the filly, "I don't like medicine too, thats why I put in a little sugar to sweeten it. As a certain someone used to say; 'a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down.'"

Grimacing in preparation, Applebloom brings the bottle to her lips and gulps down the potion. Her eyes widen in realization of the silky sweet taste that spreads across her mouth. With a smile she swallows the potion and sighs, smacking her lips in appreciation.

"See? It wasn't yucky at all" said the stranger with a wink, "now if you would hold still little one, Im going to bandage up your cut, then we can head over to my home for some soup."

Kneeling next to the filly, the strangers gloved hands expertly and efficiently clean and bandage the nasty gash in Applebloom's side. After the deed was done, it sat back on its hands and let out a sigh, taking a moment to think. As the stranger contemplated, Applebloom look to her flank, and observed the red stain as it spread slowly out across the white strips of the bandage.

"Huh, Ah didn't notice I got cut, weird." she murmured,

"Thats understandable, you were under alot of stress, the three of you." interjected the stranger, now standing up brushing off his pants, "now, off we go, since two of you are unable to walk properly, Im going to have to ask you if I can carry you all to my home." he said as he looked to each filly in kind.

"But I can walk, Im fine. What do you mean 'all of us'?" asked Scootaloo, sitting next to the stranger's leg, looking up at him with wonder.

"Well, as you can see, little one; Im very tall, with very long legs. It would be very hard for you to keep up, so; I shall carry the three of you together." as he said this he straightens up to his full height, looming over the three fillies.

"Oh, I see."

With a clap of his hands, the stranger gently but firmly lifts up the three fillies in his arms, and without further ado, briskly walks off into the night. Each step taking the group to that quaint little hobbit hole house.
> Chapter Three: ...and a Cozy Hearth at Home
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


POV:???-First Person


As I trudge through the forest, carrying my charges through bush and branch, my calm expression belies the veritable storm of thoughts crashing and spinning around in my mind.

Why did I do this? Why did I stick my neck out for these ponies? I had swore to myself and to my dearest friend that I would never again make my existence known to them, my powers and the Ring frightened them, and they had attacked me before...so why did I help?

Because it was the right thing to do. They're children, they are not responsible for the sins of their fathers...

...After all I've been through. Freefall, old friend, would you really still say that? 

With that pleasant thought out of the way, I look down to my precious cargo. The unicorn filly was already sleeping, the pegasus filly was nodding off, her adrenaline was probably wearing off, and the filly with the crooked red bow was fast asleep as well, exhausted by today's events. I look around at my surroundings, and I notice a familiar landmark, I was almost home. Good, I just hope that I still had enough soup left to feed them all...


POV: Cutie Mark Crusaders-Third Person


The fillies were sound asleep, snoring away dreaming of better things. When suddenly, they all find themselves in a white void, an endless space in the dreamscape. The three little ponies look to each other in confusion, wondering what was going on. Their thoughts are interrupted by the entrance of a night blue alicorn, wings spread in a regal fashion, horn alight with arcane energies.

"Princess Luna!" exclaimed the crusaders.

"Hello little crusaders, we are relieved that we finally managed to find thee." said Luna with a motherly tone, "when thou did not come home this afternoon your families came to us for assistance."

"We're sorry princess." said Applebloom, "we just wanted to get our cutie marks." The three fillies bowed their heads in shame.

"Thou will have to make it up to thine families when the time comes, however, where art thou? Art thou still in the Everfree?" asked Luna with a worried expression.

"We are, but we met someone!" replied Scootaloo.

"Who? Zecora?"

"Not exactly, princess..." said Applebloom.

"He looks a little weird, but he's nice, and he saved us from the timberwolves!" interjected Scootaloo.

"He was taking us to his home, but I think we fell asleep on the way there?" added Applebloom

"Well, this is odd, we have never heard of another pony living in the Everfree other than Zecora." mused the Princess.

"But that is a matter for another time, it seems the three of you are waking up," Looking around her as the dreamscape began to shine brighter and brighter, "I will inform your families about your whereabouts, and we shall wait for you at the entrance of the forest tomorrow morn. Good luck, and stay safe." As the dreamscape became blindingly bright, there was a flash, and then, nothing.

The three fillies struggled to raise their leaden eyelids, still shrugging off the effects of sleep. As they yawn and gaze around curiously, they notice that they had been placed on a couch. But this couch was enormous, twice the size of a regular one! Looking around the cozy little living room, their noses catch the scent of something savory, making their little bellies rumble and complain with hunger. Following their noses, and looking over to their left, they see a hallway leading into what sounded like a kitchen, with a faint cloud of steam hanging on the ceiling threading its way through and into the living room. Again, their hunger was made known by another thunderous rumbling of their bellies.

A voice called softly from the kitchen, "Sounds like someone is hungry, its a good thing I still have enough soup for dinner tonight. If your feeling well enough, why don't you three head over to the dining room and take a seat? I'm almost done with dinner, just head through the door."

After a small pause, the three fillies clambered down from the oversized couch and tentatively made their way through the door, as they made their way to the table infront of them, they noticed that almost all of the furniture in this home was much bigger than usual, and the only exception being the table as it was uncharacteristically normal sized for the fillies and they were able to easily climb onto their respective chairs and look to the kitchen, where their host was standing next to a stove with his back to them, stirring a pot with a wooden spoon. Each stir of the spoon sending out another wave of savory smells to assault the three hungry fillies.

"That smells good, what is it?" inquired Sweetiebelle.

"Its a vegetable soup I made yesterday using my garden, Im just reheating it for tonight's dinner." replied the host

After a moment or two of silent stirring and the bubbling of the broth, the host let out a satisfied grunt and set aside the wooden spoon. Taking up a carved wooden ladle, he pours the soup into three wooden bowls, then after putting the ladle into the pot, he walks over to the table and sets down the three bowls infront of his guests, putting a carved wooden spoon into each bowl to finish.

"There, eat up. Oh, and be careful, its hot." 

The three fillies chorused their thanks and picked up their spoons to eat...



10 Minutes later


With a loud and reverberating belch, Scootaloo leaned back on her chair, copying the postures of the other crusaders. The soup had been wonderful, and they had of course asked for seconds, thirds, and fourths(Scootaloo had asked for fifths). 

"I take it you enjoyed my cooking?" Asked the host as he sat down with pipe in hand, puffing out wonderful smoke rings as intricate as they were complicated.

"Yeah! I don't think I can eat another bite." murmured Scootaloo, and with a yawn added, "Im kinda sleepy now..."

The other fillies nodded and also yawned with her, their full bellies and warm surroundings lulling them to sleep. The host picked up on this, and as he returned from putting away the dishes, wiping his hands on a cloth, he then picked them up without a word and carried them to the guest room, tucking them into the bed gently.

"Sleep well little ones, tomorrow I'll take you back to Ponyville. That I promise you." said the stranger, with firm and reassuring voice.

"Thanks mister, say, I never heard your name. What is your name?" asked Sweetiebelle with another drawn out yawn.

The stranger looked at them with a warm smile, "Farren, my name is Farren." he whispered.

"That's a weird name, what does it mean?" the little unicorn asked, her eyelids already becoming heavy, her mind drifting off to sleep.

The last thing they heard before the land of dreams took them was a quiet reply, "it means, 'Wanderer...'"
> Chapter Four: A Touching Reunion
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

As the sun rose to herald a new morning, its beams of light shone through one of the few windows in the homely little hobbit hole. One sunny beam in particular(whose name is Bobby), decided to make it's somewhat short life's mission to shine at a just the right angle to beam right into the eyes of the three sleeping ponies snuggled up in the couch. Of course, this woke the fillies, try as they might to ignore the bright sunlight glowing on their eyelids. With a chorus of yawns, smacking of lips, and the odd hoof scratching impolite places, the three little crusaders blinked half-asleep at their unfamiliar surroundings, wondering where they where. 

Scootaloo got it first and her eyes widened with realization, her companion Sweetiebelle copying her actions a few moments later. However, Applebloom; ever the steady stoic of the group, much like her brother, sighed happily and yawned again. 

"Sleep well?" the voice of their host drew their gazes to the hallway entrance, the person in question peeking his head around the corner.

The three nodded in agreement, "yeah, this couch is really comfy!" Sweetiebelle announces with a satisfied nod.

"Alright, now, lets get ready for the trip home. I packed you guys some lunch."

Farren then comes around the corner and begins to walk to the kitchen, waving the fillies to follow him. As they file into the kitchen, their bipedal host turns off to the right into the kitchen. After a bit of rummaging around he re-enters the dining room with three little paper bags in his arms, and a set of forest green canvas saddlebags.

"Here," he says as he kneels down to attach the bags to their flanks, "These saddlebags are for to you, so you can put your lunches in them. Oh, and these saddlebags are special, my gift to you." he said with a wink.

"Oh boy! Thanks Farren!" Sweetiebelle said as she used her horn to pack their lunches.

"Yeah, this is great! Thanks!" chirped Scootaloo as she hugged Farren's leg, her little wings buzzing with excitement.

"Ah love it! These look stronger than mah old ones!" said Applebloom, "Wuts so special about these bags though?" 

"Ah, good thing you asked," replied Farren as he stood back up and put his hands to his hips, "Those bags are enchanted by yours truly. Watch." With that he opened the flap to Scootaloo's bag, and put his hand in it, then his forearm, then past his elbow, all the way up to his shoulder! 

The three fillies let out "ooohs" and "ahhhs" in amazement. After removing his arm, Farren explained, "the bags are enchanted using my magic so that you can fit lots of things in it, just so long as it can fit through the opening." 

"Thats amazing!" exclaimed Scootaloo.

"Mah sis will love ta meetcha! Twilight too!" Applebloom cheered.

At Applebloom's words Farren's expression twitched, shifting briefly to an pained look, but it was gone as soon as it had appeared and went unnoticed by his charges.

"Actually little ones, Im not going to be meeting your families..." He said with a sad expression.

"What!?" they exclaimed. But before the fillies can protest further, their host held up his hand to quiet them.

"Don't misunderstand, its not that I wouldn't love to meet the families of such delightful ponies such as yourselves..." With a sigh he continued, calmly but firmly explaining, "but I do not think that the adults would react very well at the sight of me. In fact, Im going to have to blindfold you so you never find this place again. Im sorry, but I will only accompany you until we reach the main path out of the forest, then I we will part." 

"Your moving away? We wont see each other again?" asked the fillies with tears in their eyes.

"I cannot risk being found by ponies...never again..." muttered Farren, his eyes looking off into some distant memory, face wincing at some phantom pain that still plagued him. 

"Will you come visit us?" the question chased the shadows of his mind away, snapping him back to the present.

"Come again?"

With their eyes as wide as possible, with looks that could make windigo hearts melt, they asked again, "Will you come visit us?"

After a pregnant pause, Farren smiled, "Of course, whenever I can."

With a whoop and a hearty "Yay!" the fillies put on their bags(with Farren's help) and barreled out the door, out into the sunlit clearing that housed that picturesque little hobbit hole. Though their excitement was interrupted by a polite cough, turning about they saw Farren with a bemused expression on his face, and three strips of cloth in his hand. Reminded of his one condition, they sheepishly walked back to him. One quick blindfolding later, they set out into the forest, held in the arms of their tall savior.


A Half Hour Later 


"Why did we stop?"

After crashing through another bush, the fillies realized that they had now stopped moving. The silence now deafening compared to the constant rhythm of crashing and rustling that Farren had caused as he carried them through the forest.

"Because, little ones, we are here." 

After setting down the ponies, Farren then removed their blindfolds, revealing that they now stood on a wide dirt path. It ran through the forest and ended in a dead end of grass and trees on one end, on the other end shone brighter, indicating the edge of the forest. With a final pat of their heads; Farren stood up, brushed off his cloak, and adjusted the strap to his satchel, reading to plunge back into the darkness of the forest. 

"This is where we part you three. I must go back home, and so do you. Just follow this path and you should come out of the forest." he said with a sniff, "If I remember correctly there's an apple farm near the entrance, so look for that if you need your bearings." 

"You mean Sweet Apple Acres?" asked Applebloom, "Mah family lives there." 

"Really? That is interesting." Farren mused, "I have wondered who wo-"

His ruminations are interrupted by the impact of three little bodies, clinging to his legs fiercely, faces pressed into his pant legs. Farren then realized that there was a dampness spreading across the fabric. Looking down he saw that they were now looking up at him again, tears threatening to burst forth in a flood of sorrow. 

"Please, you will visit us right?" asked Scootaloo.

"Pinkie promise?" Sweetiebelle and Applebloom inquired, their eyes wide and brimming with tears. 

"I promise." replied Farren, going through the motions he had seen ponies do years ago.

Reaching down, he hugged his little charges one last time, with a faint catch in his voice, he gently removed them from his pants and said, "Alright, off you go." 

With some reluctance, the crusaders parted with their newfound friend and protector, and set down the path, heading for the bright entrance to the forest. At the edge, they looked back, but all they saw was the fleeting figure of their friend, fading once again into the shadows of the Everfree.


----------


"Applebloom! Sweetiebelle! Scootaloo! Thank Celestia your safe!" 

The three fillies stumbled out into the sunlight, now almost blinding to them. Soon they were picked up and hugged by their respective families. Rarity was crying, mascara running in rivers down her face. Applejack and Big Mac were hugging their little sister, quietly enjoying the moment. Rainbow Dash had Scootaloo in a headlock, giving her a fierce noogie. Standing on the sidelines taking in the scene were the rest of the Elements of Harmony, accompanied by the two Princesses who smiled knowing smiles. 

"Applebloom, yah knew better than than go into that darn forest! Especially at night!" scolded Applejack, more worried than mad at her sister.

"Ahm sorry sis." muttered Applebloom, guilt written all over her face.

"We were fine weren't we?" said Sweetiebelle, "we arn't hurt or nothing."

"Yeah! Farren was there to save us! He was soo cool!" added Scootaloo, "He even gave us these cool bags!" 

Suddenly, a choked, gasping sob is heard and everypony looks to its source. To their surprise, it had come from Celestia, who now was wide eyed, her gaze haunting as if she was reliving her worst nightmares. 

"Did, did you say Farren?" She asked in a whisper.

"Um, yes princess. I think he said it means 'wanderer' or something." replied Applebloom.

"What..." Celestia muttered out, before taking a moment to compose herself, "What did he look like?"

The three fillies looked to each other, then back to the princess.

"Well, he wasn't a pony." said Scootaloo.

"He stands on two legs, and hes reaaaally tall!" added Applebloom.

"And he doesn't have much fur, hes got a black mane of fur on his head, and his eyes are like emerald gems! Kinda reminded me of yours princess." finished Sweetiebelle.

Celestia's eyes widened further, and tears began to well up in the corners of her eyes. With a small sniff, she wiped her face with her hoof. She then looked to her worried subjects and her concerned sister.

"Im sorry everypony, but I had thought that Farren was, well...Dead." gasps where heard from each pony as she continued, "Farren was-,is one of my best friends. He was practically family, and he was there to comfort me over my actions when I banished Luna..." 

The sister in question looked to her sibling in confusion, before realization dawned upon her features, her eyes widening as well. 

"Sister, dost tho- ahem, do you mean Uncle Farren???" Luna inquired, her eyes alight with confusion, as well as a little hope.

"Yes Luna, that uncle Farren. The same." said Celestia, draping her wing over Luna in a gesture of comfort.

"But how Celly? You told me when I returned that he had passed away after I had been banished!" 

"I do not know Lulu, but if he is alive, then we must find him." Celestia then looked to the foals infront of her.

"Little ones, where did you stay the night?"

"We stayed at Farren's house, it was really cozy." replied Scootaloo.

"Do you know where it is? Could you show it to us?" asked Celestia, "its very important that you remember."

They looked to each other again, each shaking their head and looking back to the princess with guilt in their eyes.

"We're sorry princess," answered Applebloom, "but Farren blindfolded and carried us here, Ah don't think Ah could remember the way back." 

"Wait, princess, what about this?" asked Sweetiebelle as she presented her new saddlebag to them, "we all got these enchanted saddlebags from Farren. If I remember correctly, can't magic like this be traced?" she asked.

"Sweetiebelle thats genius!" exclaimed Twilight Sparkle, "That would work perfectly!"

Taking up the bags in her magic, the purple alicorn closed her eyes and focused. The purple aura surrounding the bags darkened to a black pitch, then suddenly burst into emerald flames! As the ponies gasped in amazement at this arcane display, a lick of flame shaped itself into a fiery thread of emerald and began to make its way into the forest, lighting the shadows with an eerie green glow.

"Well? what are we waiting for?" exclaimed a bouncy pink pony, who had kept quiet until now for dramatic effect, "lets go throw him a 'Welcome-Home-Hooray-Your-Not-Dead Party!"

And with that, the small group of ponies plunged into the Everfree forest, following the emerald flame.
> Chapter Five: Dark Depths Dug too Deep.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

As the day went on, Farren trudged through the forest, his thoughts absconding to the past. He remembered his times with the royal family, watching them grow, witnessing his nieces during their coronation. Weeping with his eldest niece at the loss of the youngest...and then, that night. That single nightmarish night. If he did not still bear the scars he would of written it off as mere nightmares, but such was not to be. The darker the paths he wandered in his mind, the darker he became, the shadows seemed to gather around him again, animals ran in fear, monsters cowered in their lairs. It seemed as if he had become a being made of pure shadow, drifting through the now unnaturally dark woods, trailing whips of emerald flames bursting forth from two hellish burning slits that had become his eyes.

If one had the courage, or foolishness to listen in close, one would hear a faint chant being whispered. Though the voice was deep, dark, and thunderous in its nature, its whispers were like silky shadow, a multi-voiced phantom of speech that made the skin crawl in abject fear. 

Again and again this whisper of a voice chanted, but it only said two words: "Never again....never again...never again...."

For hours this dark figure chanted, gliding at a steady pace towards home. At the sight of said home, the figure relaxed. The shadows receded once more, the animals came back, and the sun shone once more through the treetops. With a heavy. world-weary sigh, Farren once again stepped into his cozy little hobbit hole. Going through the motions, he once again hung up his cloak, set aside his shillelagh, and put away his satchel. Then, without further ado, he sat down once again in a comfy armchair, the same one he had arrived with all those millennia ago.

"Well old friend, at least your still here." he said, patting the armchair with a nostalgic look in his eyes. 

Picking up a book from the table to the side, he opened its contents, and lost himself in its story. With each chapter his dark thoughts and haunting memories were pushed aside, to be deliberated upon at a later date. Looking up momentarily from his book, Farren realized that the house felt empty and all too quiet without his three guests, and it made him feel empty himself.

"Music, thats what I need. A little music to head off this loneliness." he said to himself. 

Standing up from his chair, he reaches over to a small box on the table, opening it, he pulls out a finely engraved pocket watch. After sitting back down in his chair, he presses the button on the top, opening the watch with a little "click!" A tune begins to play from the music box inside. Settling back into his seat, Farren closes his eyes, and begins to softly sing a lullaby, one he had sung many times.

Close your eyes, fill your head
Rest your body on the bed
Dream of roads that lie unlead 
Dream of words unsaid 

I will keep you safe at night 
I'll turn every wrong to right 
And I will stay from dark to light 
And I will hold you tight 

Though you're young and free 
You're a part of me 
To you will come no harm 
While you're in my arms 

Close your eyes, fill your head 
Rest your body on the bed 
I will keep my child in sight 
I will hold you tight....


With a sigh, he looked to his book, and picked it up once again, "hmm, much better, now where was-"

"Uncle Farren...." 

"Celestia? Luna?" His breathing quickened, and his eyes widened in fear.

Suddenly, he froze, hands clasping the watch shut, cutting off the music and breaking the spell. In that moment, a flood of repressed memories, dark thoughts, and a black pit of despair, once controlled and kept at bay, now slipped past his mental defenses that had slackened in surprise. There was the sound of glass breaking; the void had claimed him, and now the whispers came back:

"Did you think you could escape?"

"It was only a matter of time..."

"Should of never trusted those fillies"

"They're here to take you back to the room, that damnable room!"

"You wont let them, never again, never again, never again, Never again, NEVER AGAIN!"

...
...
...

"Never again will I be made a prisoner of Ponies, they will NOT take me alive..."

With each passing moment, his madness grew like a weed, worming and rooting itself deep in his mind. With a reluctant gait, he stumbled to the door, a small part of his mind hoping that he was wrong. But as soon as he opened the door and looked outside, that small part of him was dragged screaming into the void, and he knew no more...


----------


As the group followed the emerald flames, they noticed that with each passing moment the flames grew brighter, signifying that they where getting closer to the source. As they pushed through some bushes, they stumbled into the familiar secluded clearing, the bright sun streaming down seemingly out of place in the dark forest they had just traveled through.

"Here we are! Thats the place princess!" Scootaloo pointed towards the homely looking hill with a door in its side, a sliver of smoke rising from a small metal chimney at the top.

"Odd looking home if you ask me." said Rainbow Dash as she hovered near the group.

"I must say that it looks wonderful, very homely and neat." replied Rarity, appreciating the picturesque little garden next to the round green door.

As they got closer and closer to the door, they suddenly stopped in their tracks as the musical tinkling of a music box was heard through the door. Cellestia and Luna's eyes widened in recognition of the tune, hadn't they heard this same song, when they were just fillies afraid of the dark? Then, a stallions voice filtered through the midst of the music, softly singing a lullaby. The lullaby had different effects on the ponies, most listened and got lost in the words, smiling pleasantly. Some, looked drowsy and felt safe for some reason, as if the singing had chased away the dangers of the forest. But for the princesses, the effect was most dramatic. Both had tears in their eyes, a mix of pain, longing, joy, and nostalgia fixed upon their faces, their mouths silently singing along to the stallion's voice, each word mirroring his. At the close of the song, they had tears streaming down their faces, their minds not believing what they where hearing but their hearts knowing who it was that was singing.  

"Uncle Farren..." they uttered in unison.

Suddenly, the music stopped. There was a silence, a long one. The ponies suddenly snapped out of their trance-like states and looked around in confusion, there was a feeling of tension in the air, coupled with a faint feeling of fear and dread.

"Celestia? Luna?" asked the voice from within the home, a faint trace of fear in his words.

The door opened slowly, silently, until a head peaked out from the doorway, emerald eyes wide, burning with fear and dread. Those eyes took one look at what waited for him outside, and they did not like what they saw. Quick as a flash, the door slammed shut once again, this time accompanied by a plethora of "clicks" and slams of locks and deadbolts being slid home up and down the door.

"NEVER AGAIN!" screamed Farren, "NEVER AGAIN WILL I BE MADE A PRISONER OF PONIES!"

"Uncle Farren! Its us, your nieces! Whats wrong?" asked Celestia, now realizing that something had gone very wrong. 

All that could be heard was the sound of many things being thrown or shoved against the green door, he was barricading himself in.

"Princess Celestia, whats going on?" asked Twilight nervously, her panic rising with each moment.

"I do not know Twilight," replied the Solar diarch, "Farren was never like this, what happened to him?"

As the sounds of the desperate human barricading himself in faded, the three fillies went up to the door, leaning on it and looking to the now dark windows in worry. 

"Mr. Farren, are you ok? Why did you close the door?" asked Sweetiebelle, her two friends nodding in agreement.

There was no reply, the house had become eerily silent. Again the ponies looked to each other in confusion and worry, wondering what had gone wrong.

"This is serious, Im going to have to teleport us in." said Celestia, looking to her sister, they nodded in agreement, and with a flash, now found themselves in a darkened hallway.

The house now looked nothing like what the fillies had described it. Objects and furniture was strewn about, either thrown aside or used as parts for the hastily made barricade against the door. The window curtains were all pulled close, plunging the whole home into darkness, and by this dim light they could see a faint green glow coming from a doorway infront of them. Cautiously approaching, they eased open the door a crack, and peeked through. 

It was a bedroom, but it looked like a manticore had mauled it. The bed and chair where torn up and  The source of the glow came from two burning green coals peering out from under the bed, all semblance of sentience gone from them, now replaced by an animal like fear and savagery. 

"Uncle? Uncle Farren? Is that you?" Celestia tentatively asked, "what has happened to you?"

"Sister, look. Look whats written on the walls." said Luna with worry in her voice.

On the walls of the bedroom, what had once looked like claw marks now revealed themselves to be writing. One the walls there were things written in an arcane flowing script that they could not understand, while other messages were eligible,  what they saw were things like "Monster" or "Never again." 

That's when they heard it, that eerie whisper of a chant, "NeveragainNeveragainNeveragainNeveragainNeveragainNEVERAGAIN!"

The chanting reached a fever pitch, now screaming instead of whispers. With each word the burning green coals underneath the bed burned brighter and brighter, the shadows began to converge on the bottom of the bed, almost as if the figure underneath was drawing them in.

Looking to each other in worry and concern, the two alicorns then looked back at their beloved uncle, now brought so low by unknown means. It broke their hearts in a way like no other.

"Uncle please, come back to us. We mean you no harm. No one here wants to hurt you." Pleaded Celestia, tears in her eyes, voice thick with emotion.

The whispering stopped, and silence reigned once again in the little room. Then, from under the bed chuckling was heard, before the princesses could react, the chuckling turned into a twisted perversion of something between sobbing and laughter. The laughter then devolved into inane babble and giggles, each gasping and sobbing bout of laughter making it very clear that this was the laughter of the truly broken, the giggles of the insane. In between the fits interjected by demented mirth, the sisters were able to make out some sentences, but did not like what they heard.

"heHheheHEHeh,safe?wahtssafeSunnotsafe,moonnotsafe,faccnyponynotsafe,suntellliesSUNTELLLIESHAHAHaHahAHaHAHAHAHaHA!"

"Hes gone mad sister, just like Discord." Luna lamented.

"Yes, but like Discord he can be helped," said Celestia, determination now burning in her eyes, "I just hope we're not too late."

"The MindWalk spell?"

"Yes, hopefully we can repair the damage that has been done."

The room was then lit up in a warm golden glow as Celestia concentrated, the light chasing the shadows away. With a flick of her horn the bed was lifted off the ground and set leaning against the far wall. Now revealed from its hiding spot, the dark shadow looked around frantically for another place to hide, but before it could move, Celestia and Luna smartly stepped forward, and tapped their glowing horns to its forehead. Then, everything went white...
> Chapter Six: We're All a Little Mad Here...
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

As they blinked the white spots from their eyes, the two princesses looked upon their surroundings, and found them terrifying. It was dark, darker than the bleakest night. The void around them whispered with many voices, menacing and malicious. 

"Monster"

"Foul Beast"

"Filthy Creature"

"Know your place"

"You are not welcome"

"Suffer"

"Despair" 

"DIE"

"ENOUGH!"

Luna roared, the Royal Canterlot Voice drowning out the whispers, now a deft silence settled in the black expanse. But then, another noise wormed its way through the void, a gasping ragged breathing, coupled with winces and whimpers of pain. The two sisters looked around in alarm, looking for the source of the sound. Seeing nothing, Celestia lit up her horn, revealing themselves to be at the entrance to a dark hallway. 

"Sister, isn't this...?" asked Luna.

"Yes Luna, these appear to be the Canterlot Castle Dungeons...but what puzzles me is that these look like the ones before I purged and reformed the nobility, before I moved from the Everfree and started living in Canterlot..." replied Celestia with a worried expression.

As they ventured deeper and deeper into the blackened hallway, on each side were cells, all of them empty, save for a small leather bag placed directly in the center of each. Feeling curious, Luna walked up to one of these cells, opened the door, and picked up the bag with her magic. Looking at the label etched into the leather, it said; "Failure #12: Nightmare Moon." Feeling a little nervous, she opened the bag, and looked inside.


----------


"NO! Luna please! You must stop!"

The voice of her uncle, his voice torn raw with emotional anguish, was like a slap to her face. Luna looked to where it came from and saw her uncle frantically running after Celestia as she took off from the ground and flew through a jagged hole in the ceiling, the Elements of Harmony in her magical grasp. With a gasp she realized where she was; this was the moment she had turned, and had been banished to the moon, when her sister had risen up from the treasury with the elements to stop her. As she watched the events unfold through the jagged hole in the treasury, she looked down to the floor, and saw that Farren had dropped to his knees, tears streaming down his eyes. His mouth moving, but nary but a faint whisper came out.

"Luna, please....don't do this, please come back...you have to stop Luna, please....."

Each whispered word was like a hot knife tearing into her heart, but it did not end there. As a rainbow light bathed his tortured features, Farren's eyes widened in realization, and something broke. His eyes looked glassy and dull and he stared dumbly as a familiar figure appeared, carved black upon the face of the moon.

"No..." 

As he sat there on his knees, Celestia descended through the hole in the roof, the elements in her magical grip now stone orbs, the elements had rejected her. Celestia softly landed, the elements where placed back in their places, and then she began to cry. It started slow, with a gasping choke, then a hiccuping sob, finally the dam broke, and Celestia sobbed openly, keening in anguish for her loss. 

Luna watched with tears streaming down her face as her uncle stood up, and wobbling like a puppet, stumbled over to her sister, and drew her close, putting the sobbing alicorn's head to his shoulder. As Celestia cried her heart out, Farren was unnaturally quiet, staring ahead of him with a dead, glassy stare. He embraced his only remaining niece, and stared, dead to the world.


----------


With a gasp Luna was back in the hallway, and she felt sick. She then promptly dropped the bag, and began to be wracked with shuddering sobs.

"Luna! What happened!? Whats wrong???" Celestia ran to Luna and held her sister close, rubbing the small of her back in an attempt to comfort her, "you looked into that bag and a second later, you were crying. What did you see?" 

"My banishment sister, I saw what happened after you did it...Oh Celestia, his eyes, his eyes! They where so cold and dead..." sobbed Luna, crying into her sister's shoulder.

After a few moments of crying, Luna finally calmed down. With a sniff, she rubbed her eyes with a wing, wiping away the tears. Then, in a moment of clarity, she looked around her at the almost endless hallway in horror. 

"Luna, what is it?"

"Its his memories..."

"...What?"

"This hallway, all these cells, those small leather bags. These are all of uncle Farren's memories, all of the times he felt failure and anguish, every time he suffered and was broken. Oh by our mother Celestia, there are so many..." she whispered in fear, gazing upon the dark cells. 

As they gazed upon the cells, one stood out in particular; the door stood at the end of the hallway, this door was not made of bars, but of solid steel, with no window to peer in, the only feature that made it distinctive was that the door had bloodstains on it. Splattered all over the door, some parts were fresh, others were dark red patches of dried blood. Realizing that the door was the source of the madness that afflicted their uncle, they walked up to it, and opened the door. 


----------


After blinking away the spots in their eyes, they realized that they were now in Canterlot Castle. However, the design was ancient, opulent and imperial. This was what the castle looked like before the princess of the sun had moved in. As they gazed around their surroundings in confusion, they watched as Farren walked past them, making his way to a set of massive double doors, saluting to the guards posted infront of them. Farren looked much better than what he looked like during the Nightmare Moon memory, now he was dressed up in an ancient set of Royal Everfree military uniform, medals pinned to his chest, looking very smart and proper. He now had a calmer expression on his face, but it now carried a hint of grief and sadness in his eyes.

"Im here to answer the summons of Duke Silvermorn." Said Farren, eyes set with determination.

Without a word the guards opened the doors, their expressions guarded and hard. As Farren stepped through the doors, he walked down the hall which the sisters now recognized as the throne room, on the throne sat a pearly white unicorn with stormy blue eyes wearing a rich looking red cape.

With a small gasp Celestia's eyes widened in fear, "No Farren! What are you doing? Don't trust him!"

"Who is that sister?"

Celestia looked back to Luna with pain in her eyes, "That is Duke Silvermorn, the former duke of Canterlot and was the leader of the nobility that ruled like tyrants in secret over the city." She looked back to the white unicorn sitting on the throne, "he was the first one I sent to the dungeons for his crimes, and they were many..."

With a small bow, Farren addressed the duke; "Duke Silvermorn, you summoned me? What seems to be the trouble?"

"Ah yes, Grandmaster Farren of the Order of the Night Phoenix. How good of you to visit." the snide and haughty tones of the duke grated harshly in the ears of everyone present, yet the grandmaster did not seem to react.

"I have been called, I must answer." reported Farren, "Are you requesting another crusade against the griffons?"

"No, no...this time I have a different target in mind..." said the duke dismissively, waving his hoof. Unknown to Farren, the guards behind him began to creep up on him, their horns aglow from casting a muffling spell on their hooves.

"What is the target then, Your Grace?" inquired Farren, his face now adopting a suspicious look as his sixth sense told him something was amiss.

"Why, its you Grandmaster, you filthy monster!" snarled the Duke, bringing down his hoof as a signal to his guards. 

Before Farren could react, a sharp pain stabbed into the back of his head, causing him to fall forward, unconscious. The last thing he heard before the darkness took him was the triumphant cackling of the Duke...


---Some Time Later---


The princesses watched in horror as Farren finally came to, the void once again changing its surroundings and revealing their uncle chained to the wall of a dungeon, the old Canterlot dungeon to be precise. After a moment of struggling against the steel manacles, he slumped back down. With a harsh clank the door of the cell, the same one the sisters saw in his mind, swung open, rusty hinges squealing in protest. Standing in the doorway was the Duke, his mouth covered with a handkerchief, disgust clear on his face as he glared at Farren chained to the wall.

"Ugh, the smell is intolerable in this filthy place, but I guess it would suit a filthy creature such as yourself..." complained the Duke, "It puzzles me to no end why the princesses put up with you so long, I would have just killed you and dumped your body in a ditch somewhere ages ago..." 

"You won't get away with this Silvermorn! Celestia will find out, and she'll come looking for me!" announced Farren, glaring defiantly at his cowardly captor.

"You will address me as Duke you monster! And you shall call Princess Celestia by her proper title!" shouted Silvermorn, bringing out an old and worn looking whip, "You are in to place to speak creature! KNOW YOUR PLACE!" 

With a flash, Farren had been teleported and now had his back facing the Duke, who raised his cruel looking whip, its sharpened and serrated metal tip flashing in the dim torchlight...and then the whipping began...


----------


A moment of darkness came, the two sisters realized that at this point Farren had fainted. But then the scene infront of them lit up once again, revealing the same cell. But now, Farren had a scruffy, and ragged appearance, his hair was shaggy and long, and his face now had a scruffy beard to it, indicating that several weeks, if not months had passed. The door once again clanged open, and Farren looked up to his tormentor, the Duke. Without much ceremony, the Duke turned Farren around, revealing a thick mass of scar tissue on his back, there were lines of scars everywhere on his back, making a carpet of red bleeding lines and even a couple white threads across his entire back. The Duke then raised his whip once more, and began his customary whipping of the prisoner, each strike bringing a savage pleasure to the pasty white unicorn. However, the prisoner was eerily silent throughout all this, only flinching with each strike. 

After a while the noble grew bored, and so he cast aside the whip. "You know, creature..." he started, no longer addressing the prisoner by his name,  "I just had an idea. The whip is no longer fun...so lets play with my other toys~"

With a chiming note signalling the use of magic, a small leather bag popped into existence. The unicorn then brought it up to the mass of scar tissue and red stripes...and began to laugh sadistically as he poured out the bag of salt into the wounds. The screams echoed down the hall, tortured and hoarse. Then, came the hot oil, burning away hairs on the body, and boiling flesh. Then came the knife, cutting here, cutting there, cutting out an eye here, drawing blood there. Then came the hot iron, searing flesh, and sealing wounds. 

After what seemed like an eternity, there was silence again in the dungeon. The pale unicorn stepped back and sighed in sadistic satisfaction. "Ahhh, much better. I truly did need that, however, you are no longer required..." he said, while cleaning a bloodied knife with a cloth, 

"The Princess has apparently requested an audience with me, and wishes to make an inspection of Canterlot. Maybe she will move in? Oh what a treat that will be!" he gushed disgustingly, a fanatical glint in his eye. 

Looking back at the now mumbling and groaning figure with disgust, he set down the tools, "And since she is coming, I can't exactly have you here to soil my castle with your filthy hide. It was fun playing with you, but I think I shall be saying goodbye." he said with a sneer.

"..."

"What was that creature?"

"Celly...will...save..."

"Now, now, you are really going to have to speak up, or else I might just gouge out your other eye." 

"Celestia will save me..."

With a loud bellowing laughter the Duke leaned on the nearby table, laughing and wiping a tear from his eye.

"hehehe, you still think, that the princess, is coming to save you!? AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!" Then with a sudden motion, the white unicorn came in close, and whispered a sentence. This one sentence is what finally broke Farren for good, what dragged the last vestiges of sanity and goodness screaming into the void. The void had him for the first time, and 
it drove him to madness.

"Oh my poor dear sweet creature....Who do you think commissioned me to capture you in the first place?" he whispered, his words like a white hot poker stabbing deep into Farren's soul.

Farren's eyes widened in realization...and then broke. The light in his eyes was gone, now his eyes were glassy and dull, like as if he was dead. His whole body shuddered, and he went limp, his face now covered by his shaggy long hair.

"Yes, thats what I wanted to see!" cried Silvermorn with sadistic glee, "Such a broken soul, what delicious fun!"

However, his glee was short lived...as the shadows of the room grew, and the light of the torches grew dim, as if they were drained of their life. Looking around nervously, Duke Silvermorn realized three things: One, it had become as silent as a grave. Two, the prisoner had begun to chuckle, a broken chuckle that promised only madness and violence. Third, the prisoner was no longer chained to the wall, and now gazed upon a ring with glowing emerald script.

Now, the whole dungeon rumbled and shook as the prisoner; with his eyes burning bright emerald, his pupils a bloody shade of red, and wisps of emerald flames licking out from the corner of his eyes; this prisoner took a step forward, and with a voice both dark and sonorous, as deep and thunderous as the primeval roar of a thunderstorm, began to speak:


"A͈̲s̴̤̜̼̈̆̎͒h̦͕̺ͩ̽̉͑̃͐́͢ ̟̮̬̤̈́ͫ͛͛͢n͇̬͗̀ä̱̰̣ͦ́ͤ̄̓̑z̭̫̦̩͈̮̠͂ͭ͂͒͊̋g̪̓ͯ ͓͚̟͇̮̹dͧͣͥ̄͒̍҉̹̬̱̳ur̡̟̼̪̲̦̰̺b͇͍̺̞͎͉̠ͦ͑ͯ͢a͔͕͓ͦ͗t̠̳͈̘̝̞̦̽ͬùͧͮl͈̀û̟̱̜̹̫̥̫k͇͖̯̥̋ͫͬ̊̚ͅ,͕̺̪̱̋ͥ͂͒͋ ̺̦̬̃́̐̓̓͆̊͜a͚̝̲ͥͪ̓̎̋s͈̾ͩͧ̅̾h͎̟̞̥͇̳͠ ̣̻͇̹͔̲̺ͥ̉ͯ͞n͙̠͢âͦz̺̭̣͙̜͌̿͆͒g̮̦͈̞̫ͥ̓̊̓̿ ̦͑ͧ͒̔̄ͨ̚͜g̶̦̣̗̩͈ͥ̐ͦͪ̃ͨi̙͖̫̥̰͋̋̾ͤ̊ͥm̠̗̅̂̋̌b̯͙̮͔̜͈͢a͓̞̱͚̼ͨ̎͛͑̒̚t̴ṵ̱̲͎̦̊ͤ̿ͮͭl̷͉̯̥̖̰̝͎,̨̯͖͖͈̔̀ͬ
͖̟A̷̯̺̰ͫ̾s͚̤̲͔̳̳͉h͔̻̙̣̼ͬ͂ͦͯ́ ̫̮̰̣̱͚̲̈́ͩ̄ͤ̂ͮ̀ṅ̡̜ͯ̓̑ͥ̿ͪä̴͓̽̾̏z͚͔̦͈̹̦̙̽̃ͩ̏ġ̜͊ͤ̚ ̨̙̱̭͍̫̺̹̄̄̈́̇̊ͧt̰h̩̪͈͉̣͔͢r̎a̶̪̩͍͇͔̘͈ͪk̴͙̣̮͎̱͇͖̑́a̺̲̤̼̦̫̯͌t̶̲̱̣ͧͩ͂̒̔u̵̱̳̳͚ͨl̤͍̽̒̃͒ͪͤû̯̯k̠̙͙͔̎͞ͅ ̹͊̍̒̍ͤ́̚a̋͛͟g̨͙͉̲̪̘h̛͊̒ ̬̦̲̾̋͗b̠̉ͭ̇ͩṳ͐͆ͦͫͧ͛ͥr̺̘ͮͤͦͤͭ̊̂zͧ̿ủ͛҉̰̜̱ͅm̶̘̊ͩ̇ͩͮͤͩ-̝̗͉̻͎̤͋ͭ̍̊͢i̶̮̻̼̪̅s̢̹̙̘̎hͪͤ̅̚̚i̱͖̲̾ ̪͓̗ͮ̐͒ͫ̔͒͘k͐͋ͫͪ͏̳̘r̤̲̟͛̔ͫ͡i͕͉̱̻̖͒̏ͧ̄́̊̉mͫ̓̓p̦͇̔̿̋̄ͅǎ̹͔̔͛͋t̤̬͒uͮ̈́̐́ͩ̅͏͓̞̯̹̦̞l̵̼̹!"


This dark being then without another word, stepped out of his cell, and melted into the shadows. That night, Canterlot castle was wracked with screams as Duke Silvermorn's guards, his servants, and even his family was torn apart, rent in two, crushed into pulp, or tortured to death.  Farren carved a warpath through the castle, with a single flick of a finger entire towers and battlements were reduced to ash, any that tried to fight him were met with a similar fate, if not worse.That night, the creature once known as Farren had his revenge.


----------


The scene changed for one final time, this time it showed Farren sitting up in a forest clearing, clearly confused at his surroundings. Looking around as he stood up. He was now whole again, eyes intact, and scars no longer visible. Looking around again he looked down and wondered what happened to his clothes, but then his thoughts were violently ripped away as he saw that in his hand, the One Ring shone with emerald fire. And in his other hand, was a bloodied unicorn horn, white in color, and very small. Gazing at this little horn in horror, Farren looked distressed, and without meaning to do so, he stuck the horn into the pocket of his ragged pants, and then promptly ran into the forest, not knowing what to do...


----------


The sisters were now back in the dimly lit hallway, their eyes red and puffy with tears cascading down their face in agony for their poor uncle. 

"I didn't know," whispered Celestia, "If I had known I would have gotten there faster." 

Luna looked to her sister and put a wing over her back to comfort her, "It wasn't your fault Celly, you couldn't of known."

"BUT I SHOULD OF LUNA!" Celestia screamed back, "I SHOULD HAVE! I SENT HIM TO GO MEET THE DUKE! I DIDN'T REALLY THINK ABOUT WHY HE HAD BEEN GONE SO LONG WITHOUT CONTACTING ME! I WAS SO MISERABLE AT MYSELF THAT I COULDNT EVEN GET OUT OF BED! AND WHEN I DID IT WAS TOO LATE! ITS ALL MY FAULT!!!" finally breaking down, Celestia cried like a foal for the first time since she was but a little filly.

Luna tried to comfort her distraught sister, but the tears did not seem to end. As she was thinking about a way to stop the crying, a warm hand touched her withers, and with a gasp she saw a hand go and touch Celestia on her head. As it rubbed her head, Celestia began to calm down, her sobs draining into little sniffles.

"Please my little Sunshine, don't cry, there has been enough of that for today." a warm voice said, "lets go home..."

"Uncle Farren?" choked out Luna as she turned her head to look at the speaker, and sure enough, her uncle's warm smiling face looked back at her and her sister.

"Yes, its me little Moonbeam. Thank you for coming to get me girls, my path has been long and dark, and I think I got lost..." he said with a puzzled frown, "but now you both lit the way, and I think I can see the way home" he murmured with a warm smile, pointing to a bright shining doorway as the dark hallway began to melt away, leaving nothing but the doorway.

Leading them with a hand on each of them, they walked towards the doorway, "Come on girls, we have some catching up to do..."
> Chapter Seven: The Phoenix
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Once again the two alicorn sisters found themselves in the ruined and darkened bedroom, but now there was a profound change in the once cold and unwelcoming atmosphere. Now, the darkness was cozy and comforting. Looking around, the sisters searched for their beloved uncle. They found him now sitting on the bed smiling warmly, with a weary expression on his face.

"How long has it been, since we have met face to face?" his voice was like a warm wave washing over the two sisters, bathing them in nostalgia.

"Too long, uncle. It has been far too long." replied Luna with tears in her eyes.

"so it has little Moonbeam, so it has..." 

A long and awkward pause then settles over the room, for a moment, nothing was said between the two parties. However, this did not last long, and the silence was interrupted by a tentative knock on the bedroom door.

"U-um, Mr. Farren? Are you okay?" 

"I'm fine Sweetiebelle, come in." with a casual flick of his hand the door swung open, revealing not only the filly in question, but the rest of the ponies that had accompanied her.

"I think apologies are in order for my...unnerving behavior. I have it under control now, but I really do apologize for my condition. My past is not....pleasant, to put it kindly." Farren said as he bowed in apology to his guests as they looked around in worry and apprehension at the state of the room and home of their mysterious host.

"Apology accepted partner, but Ah must ask, whut in tarnation happened in here? It looks like a manticore went tah town on it." Applejack drawled, her eyes darting to each claw mark on the wall in worry.

"Ah, that." Farren said as he sheepishly rubbed the back of his head, "I am to blame. When I become...distressed, I have a tendency to, 'lash out' as it where."

The ponies then stopped looking around the room and all eyes turned to gaze upon their odd yet mysterious host. With all the attention focused on him, he began to fidget and squirm nervously. 

"Who are you?" asked Twilight,  "I have read just about every single history book and historical text there is in canterlot library yet I have never heard nor seen any mention of you, or your name in the guard rosters."

Farren looked to the pony who had asked, blinked, and then looked at Twilight with renewed interest sparkling in his eyes. 

"My oh my, another alicorn? How long has it been since I've seen another of my little niece's kind?" He mused as he inspected the fledgling princess, "To answer your question, I don't know. As far as my knowledge goes, the Royal Everfree Military was official and documented in the royal archives."

"I can answer that uncle," Celestia interjected, "at the time of the purge of Canterlot, when I had interrogated that horrible Duke Silvermorn, I learned of the dungeons that you had been kept in for months. When I inspected the chamber where you were kept I discovered your blood there and other...gruesome trophies that the Duke had taken from you..." Her face twisted into grimace of pain with each word, "I demanded the Duke to tell me where and what he had done to you, but he refused to reveal anything, all he did was laugh. So, I had to assume that you had been, disposed of before my arrival and subsequent purge." 

Celestia pauses for a moment, her eyes staring off into the distance, the pain in her face evident as she relives the past.

"After I had arrested the Duke and gotten rid of his cabal of conspirators, I was in such emotional distress and hurt that I separated myself from the public and let the surviving nobles run the nation in my absence. I had shown my ponies a side of me that made them fear me, and my powers. It tore me apart in the worst way possible, and I was so deep in my despair that I didn't even notice that the nobles had stricken everything before my purge from the historical records in an attempt to cement their power." 

"That would explain why I did not find Everfree Castle occupied or even lived in when I returned there as...well, her." Luna replied.

"When I did finally emerge out of my self imposed isolation it was too late, everything before my purge no longer existed in the history books, and the 'purge' was now the 'founding' of the nation of Equestria. The nobles had put themselves above the law and I had become nothing more than a glorified figurehead." with that, Celestia sat back down. 

"...so much has changed since I last checked up on Equestria... It is an odd feeling to know that your deeds and your very existence have all but been forgotten." mused Farren, his brow furrowed in serious contemplation of his niece's words.

"'Last you checked?' What do you mean by that?" asked Rainbow Dash, her eyebrow arched in skepticism

"You forget, Rainbow FireFly Dash, Daughter of Bow Hothoof and Windy Whistles, that I have been on Equus for a very, very long time. Long enough to have seen Celestia and Luna in diapers...And taken pictures of it."

A collective gasp escapes from three ponies, one out of amazement, the other two out of abject horror. 

"Hey, how the heck did you know my full na-"

"Uncle! You wouldn't dare!" said the two horrified sisters in unison. 

"Ah, but you see girls; is it not the sacred duty of a father figure to embarrass his daughters?" Farren replied, a roguish grin on his face, "I do believe that I have the photos somewhere in the house...the closet maybe?"

Truly, t'was a rare sight the ponies witnessed that day, as their immortal celestial rulers of the Sun and the Moon, mighty in magic and perfect as the stars, proceeded to break down blushing and whining to their uncle in the same way a teenage filly would to her father if he were to show her foal pictures to a relative or heaven forbid; a soon to be special somepony. 


----------


After much embarrassment on the princesses' part, they now all sat in a very cozy and homely living room, a quaint little fireplace crackling merrily along as they all nursed cups of hot coco. Autumn was in full swing, and the evenings were starting to become bitterly cold. 

"so," began Farren, "on the subject of old friends, how is Philomena?  I haven't seen her since she first got her feathers and I taught her how to fly. Spirited little girl she was. She must be in her adolescence now yes?" he asked, looking to Celestia.

"Yes, she is doing well uncle, although she can be troublesome at times. She's prone to playing pranks on the royal guard and has been quite the little menace to our castle staff."

"Attagirl. Just how I taught her." Farren muttered. Standing up suddenly, he walked over to the nearest window, opening it with a gentle hand.

"Uncle, what are you doing?" Asked Luna, her head tilted to the side in confusion.

"I wonder..." murmured Farren, stretching out his arm into the cold autumn air.

Farren then let out a high pitched, warbling whistle. The sound echoed through the forest and reverberated through the air. He then waited, his arm still outstretched and straight. The ponies looked to each other in confusion, wondering what their host was doing. They're questions were answered when an answering whistle broke the silence of the now darkening sky. 

Farren's face lit up with a grin, "So she does remember me..."

Through the darkening woods, a flash of bright red and yellow flitted through the trees. Suddenly, perched on Farren's forearm preening her feathers, was a beautiful Solar Phoenix. Bringing his arm back inside, Farren returned to his seat, the phoenix now perched on his shoulder and lovingly preening his wiry black hair.

As he settled back into his chair, Farren looked around at the now speechless and staring audience before him, gazing upon him and his phoenix.

"What?" 

"That is not fair uncle, she never comes when I call." Celestia replied with a pout.
> Chapter Eight: A Trifling Trio
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

As the sun rose and its light spread across the slumbering forest, greeting a new day, the birds were conspicuously silent. Not a single song was sung, nor a single note warbled out in the grim and tense silence. It was as if the whole forest was on edge, holding its breath waiting for...something. 

That something was the odd entourage tentatively making its way through the forest. At the forefront of the convoy was the bipedal figure that many of the inhabitants of the forest came to know as "The Shadowy Horror," and at its heels trotted the ponies of the nearby town. They were making steady progress through the forest, when one of the smaller ponies cantered up to the man and asked him something. In response, the man nodded and slowed down for a moment to bend down and pick up the little pony. As she was raised off of the ground, the little filly giggled in foalish delight, her little wings buzzing with glee. With a heft and a huff, the man had hoisted the filly onto his shoulder providing her with a excellent perch. It was in this silent manner the group progressed through the woods, but this silence was interrupted by a soft but curious voice. 

"Mr. Farren?"

"Hmm? What is it Sweetiebelle?" Farren replied, turning his head to glace at the filly in question.

After a brief pause, she looked up and asked with a serious look, "Why did Princess Celestia and Princess Luna leave last night?"

"What brought about that question?" he countered, eyebrow arched in curiosity.

"Well," said Sweetiebelle, "Didn't they really miss you?"

"They sure did little one."

"Then why didn't they stay? You would think that they would stay with their long lost uncle for longer than a single afternoon." she wondered, looking up to Farren with a confused look on her face.

"Ah, well Sweetie, they couldn't stay long because they have duties to other ponies. For example; they have to raise the sun and lower the moon each and every morning, but that feat takes alot of energy so they need their sleep." as he explained he gestured to the rising sun in the east, its light becoming more and more radiant with each passing moment.

On and on they trudged their way through the forest, with each step bringing them closer to the end. Finally, after what seemed like an age, they could see the bright entrance to the forest. With a sigh and a tentative step forward, Farren left the Forest. His long time home seemed to heave a sigh of relief as well, and moments later the morning air was thick with the calls and warbling songs of the birds in the trees. Making their way onto the road, they followed the dusty dirt path leading to the cozy little town of Ponyville. Passing the Apple family farm, Twilight sidled up next to Farren.

"Ahem, um, Mr. Farren?" said Twilight, looking up to the human.

"Please Twilight, Mr. Farren was my grandfather, just call me Farren." 

"Very well. Farren, when we get to the town I must warn you, the ponies there can be quite...excitable." As she said this they passed by the town outer limits and were now on the main road to the town center.

"Excitable how? 'Good excitable', or 'ahh its a monster kill it with fire' kind of excitable?" Farren asked with a raised eyebrow, "I'd hate to have to go into hiding again."

"No, nothing like that, but they are easily, frightened." Chimed in Rainbow Dash from above, "Especially the flower ponies. Come to think of it, they always are the first to panic and when they do everyone else panics..."

The rest of the group nod in agreement as they arrive in the bustling town square. Looking around they could see that today was market day, and ponies where everywhere. Each stall was positioned around the circular town hall, each one had a pony shouting about their goods and excellent deals. Making their way to the center where the town hall stood, there was a certain stall that was set up right next to the entrance. The stall in question was very different from the others, as a veritable forest of flowers was placed around the stall, becoming substitute decorations that rivaled even the gaudiest of stalls in the marketplace that day. Another key difference was that the stall had three specific ponies behind the counter. At the moment they where chatting merrily away with a customer about the price of petunias. However, one of the flower ponies happened to spot the approaching party of ponies, and so she brought up her hoof to wave, but quickly froze in horror, her face becoming twisted in fear as she saw a massive creature thundering behind them. So, like any respectable flower pony with a delicate disposition to match, she took a deep breath and emptied her impressive lungs screaming bloody murder.

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK! MONSTEEEEEERRR!!!! THE HORROR! THE ABSOLUTE HORROR!"

For a moment, the entire town froze, a city of statues...and then their brains caught up with the words. Pandemonium was putting it lightly, it was like the second coming of Discord. (Who, in fact later admitted that it was this very event that may have tripled his power and also allowed him to summon living creatures...like flying pigs.)

Amidst this chaos was an island of calm, the small group of ponies and the human that had set it all off looked on in various shades of amused, concerned, embarrassed, and nonplussed. Well, to be honest Pinkie Pie was the only one that found the whole sordid affair amusing. As one would expect, this whole hullabaloo went on for quite some time, and on, and on, and on it went, until a certain lavender alicorn had just had enough of this whole ridiculous kerfuffle.

"Enough!"

The town square became silent, and tensions ran thick and heavy in the air. Then, as if nothing had happened, the townsfolk went back to normal...which is to say they went back to screaming their heads off and running around aimlessly, bumping into each other frequently.

Farren then put a consoling hand upon Twilight's shoulder, "Well, you did try. Why don't we head inside?"

Looking around them one last time, the intrepid group of ponies and their human escort strode into the town hall, leaving the panicking townsfolk to their panicked selves.
> Chapter Nine: Ruff Stuff
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

With the crowd's panicked ruckus now muted by the somewhat sturdy and thick walls of the Town Hall, the mares and their bipedal escort entered through the door and approached the front desk. The desk itself was much like the building it sat in, worn and battered, but lovingly kept all the same. The secretary pony sitting in the front desk was a kindly unicorn mare whom had seen her fair share of years. As the group approached the desk, she looked up and gazed upon the newcomers with an expression of mild surprise and curiosity.

"Yes dearies? How may I help you?" she inquired with a warm smile.

"Greetings ma'am, I would like to arrange an appointment with the mayor, are they available?"

"Let me check the timetable sir, but if my memory serves she is available in the next, oh...half hour?"

"That will be fine ma'am, thank you."

Turning to his companions, Farren looked to Twilight for askance on what their next course of action should be. 

"Do you have any other business to take care of Twilight? I myself am content to remain here until the mayor is available."

"Well, if your so sure, I do have to go back to the library and re-shelve the bo-"

"Oh my goodness! I had completely forgot! Twilight darling, wasn't Spike supposed to help me out today? I need to find some more gems to fit the rush order Sapphire Shores asked for!" Rarity interrupted, her eyes widening in alarm. Without further ado and with a flash of white, the fashionista had teleported away. The room was silent as everyone stared blankly at the empty space where the unicorn had stood before she had made her spontaneous exit. 

"Huh, I see unicorns are still as gifted as they are absent minded." Farren murmured, turning to the nearest chair within the modest lobby to take a seat. 

Soon after Rarity's rapid exit, the rest of the group said their goodbyes and left to complete their various matters of business leaving only Farren himself, and Twilight, who had opted to stay with him until his meeting with the mayor was over. The half hour passed with little incident and the crowds outside had finally gone quiet and dispersed. Eventually the calm silence was interrupted by the door in the back opening, revealing a mare with a subdued grey mane and a dull light brown coat. She peered into the room squinting through her spectacles until her eyes settled on the pair sitting in the corner of the lobby. 

"Mr. Farren? Miss Sparkle? I was told by my secretary that you wish to speak with me?" the mayor gazed upon the figures intensely, straining her eyes to make out any details.

"Yes miss Mayor, I brought Farren here to talk to you about appraising the ponies of Ponyville to his existence, and perhaps introducing him in a calm manner to the townsfolk."

"Ah, I see, well I don't see why we cannot do so, after all if its just a p...p-p..pony?" The mayor stuttered as she witnessed one of the shadowy figures seemingly grow and triple in size before taking a singular stride into the light to reveal a massive bipedal creature with two burning emerald eyes that seemed to burn a path deep into her very soul.

Noticing her apparent discomfort, the creature softened its features and the eyes dimmed somewhat. It then proceeded to kneel down infront of the perturbed mare and offer a hand in greeting, "Salutations miss Mayor, I am Farren, it is a delight to make your acquaintance."

"W-what? Oh, yes. Nice to meet you as well." The mayor hesitantly replied, quickly taking her hoof into his hand and shaking it firmly. "P-please, step into my office." 

Stepping into the modest yet dignified office of Mayor Mare, they then settled into the worn and faded chairs infront of the mayor's desk. The mayor herself clambering into her own seat behind the desk with some apprehension and concern.

"So, miss Mayor" Farren began, "There is the matter of introducing myself to the townsfolk in a gentle and calm fashion, which unfortunately has been met with little success as of late." Farren then went on to explain to the mayor about the scene that had happened infront of the town hall not too long ago.  

"I see, well, this may complicate things." replied the Mayor as she put her hoof to her chin and stared out the window in contemplation.



----------



"Hurry Spike! We're almost finished, just a few more gems and we will have all we need for the requisition."

With a flash and a sparkling hum, Rarity's horn lights up and illuminates a specific patch of dirt three feet to her left, identifying a sizable vein of gems in the mineral rich field of earth.

"There, it feels like they're sitting a little off to the left darling." 

"Got it, how deep is the cache?" the young dragon asked as he plodded to the light marked patch of dirt.

There was a momentary pause as the fashionista took a few seconds to gauge the depth of the jewel vein, "Three...maybe four meters? Better make it four meters Spike."

Spike nodded and got to work, his claws making short work of the packed earth. Soon enough his claws scratched the surface of something hard like rock, yet it twinkled and shone in the late afternoon sun. Prying it from the dust, in his claw lay a beautiful sapphire so large that the young drake had to grasp it in both claws to keep it from rolling out of his clawed hands. 

"I found it Rarity, I found it! Looks like its a sapphire vein. Good size on the crystals too." Spike called out, his eyes fixed upon his massive prize, marveling at its luster and shine. 

"Exquisite work darling! Lets dig up the vein and after that I should have enough to complete the order."

"At once, my lady!"


----------


A little ways away, from the shadow of the underbrush, three pairs of eyes gazed upon the dragon and his pony partner with undisguised greed.

"Yeeesss, geems, geeeems! My, precious geeemmmms!" a voice rasped, his eyes fixed upon the veritable mountain of gems sitting in the red wagon as it was pulled along by the little dragon.

"He is the gem hunter! With him, we can have all those gems, and moore~" squeaked a second voice, the pairs of eyes that this voice belonged to bobbing about lower than the other two pairs.

"Lets get the, Draaagooon!" the first voice declared, the bushes rustling as they prepared to pounce the unsuspecting dragon.

"Spike? Where are you?" 

"Wait! Who is that!?" gurgled the second voice, as all three pairs of yellow eyes glinted like flint searching for the unexpected new development in their master plans.

"You know, its terrible to keep a lady waiting." called the white unicorn pony, as her horn lit up once more.

"Coming!" replied the gem hunting dragon, his wagon full of gems trundling along behind him. As he arrived the ground infront of the pony glowed, revealing a vein of gems of many colors and shapes. The gem hunter then went up to the glowing patch of earth and began to dig.

"I think we're really going to strike gold this time. so to speak." commented the pony as the gem hunter dug deeper and deeper until he struck the vein.

"Jackpot!" exclaimed the tiny dragon as he surfaced once more with an armful of gems.

"Ahh, its not the dragon we want. Its, the pony!" admonished the second voice.

"The Poooonnnyyy" all three voices grumbled together, as they retreated back into the shadowy shrubbery, with dastardly deviancy in their hearts and minds.

"Well Spike, I think thats all we're doing for today." Rarity stated as Spike loaded the last bit of gems onto the red wagon, "and these will certainly get me well on my way with Sapphire's outfits, why don't we start-" suddenly, Rarity's horn sparks to life, cutting her sentence short with a yelp of surprise. 

"Whats this?" she questioned, her eyes going wide with confusion at a realization, "Another Jewel?"

Stepping forward drawn in by the spell, Rarity comes closer and closer to the forest border, "So strange, its in the trees." and indeed it is! Up in one of the lower hanging branches lies a gem, bright and yellow shining with a refined cut and shape. But as soon as her horn touches the jewel, it is revealed to be attached to the collar worn by a decidedly canine looking bipedal creature, its form tall and lanky, with a tail tipped with spikes, and a muzzle only a mother could love. Being a normal pony, of course Rarity would shout in surprise and back away with all haste, but remembering her status as a lady, she pauses to deliver the proper greeting as societal protocol would dictate. 

"Uh-er, good day, gentle-er-fellow. Uh, I am Rarity, and this my friend Spike" upon being mentioned, the dragon hesitantly brings up a claw to wave a greeting, his words failing to reach his lips in fear of whatever this creature is.

Trying again at her manners, Rarity politely inquired, "And, you are?"

To which the creature replied by dropping from the branches and landing with a heavy thud belying its thin and lanky shape. "A Diamond Dog!" it rasped, its voice like gravel and its tone carrying a hint of greed. Now the mysterious first voice was given form.

"Oh really? Oh well that explains your fine taste in jewelry. I mean I-I know that diamonds are a girl's best friend, and now I know that they're, a dogs best friend too-hahaha, so ah-hem, your out hunting for gems as well?" she rambled nervously as she and spike backed away as the creature advanced upon them its arms up menacingly ready to come down and grab the pony.

"Yes, we hunt." replied the diamond dog, his eyes narrowing dangerously.

"Er, we?" Rarity muttered in confusion, seeing only one dog.

"We hunt for gems!" the dog rasped, presenting his shining jewel proudly as he advanced, "But you, are a better hunter." As he spoke the dirt behind the pony and the dragon began to rumble and bubble as something clawed its way to the surface, "So now we hunt, FOR YOU!" he growled as the ground behind Rarity burst to reveal two more dogs, one short, and one very large. 

After a long tussle in which poor Spike tried his best to protect the lady he loved, the dogs finally managed to drag the poor mare screaming down into the dirt, deep down into their burrows where the sun rarely shines. As Spike knelt there at the edge of the hole from where they had taken his beloved, a feeling of hopelessness and frustration welled up within him, he felt it bubble and boil in his very soul before rising up rapidly. Cocking back his head and taking a deep breath, his feelings swelled up and escaped in a long drawn out scream of anguish.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
> Chapter Ten: All That Glitters Is Not Saphire
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"So what do you suggest mayor?" asked Farren, settling down into his chair for an extended discussion. Silence settled upon the diminutive office as the mayor put a hoof to her chin and got to putting her thinking cap on. For some time, the office is silent save for the quiet heartbeat of the clock on the wall tapping out a regular tempo. The occupants of the room thinking their own thoughts, musing over their own problems and diving deep into introspection that would make even the most seasoned philosopher sputter in indignant awe. Of course, as is dictated by law of the universe (and cliches), this silence is summarily interrupted by the intervention of one purple drake. 

The door is thrust open, smashing the carefully composed silence into smithereens like so much expensive china. Within the office all eyes are drawn to the diminutive yet animated figure at the doorway, whom has now proceeded into the confines of the room and with the eloquence of a creature with dire purpose, proceeds to collapse onto the floor and throw up kaleidoscope colors onto the old carpet which was once a priceless treasure from the eastern provinces. Of course each individual present reacts in their own personal way: Purple Smart of course reacts as any good older sister should, with care and compassion coming to her troubled little brother's aid. The Mayor Mare, ever the stoic and serious matriarch of a tough town with not a shred of nonsense in her body, also comes to the distressed drake's aid albeit in a more reserved and calm manner. However, what garners the most attention is from the third member of the party, whom has not left his seat be it by alarm or by conviction, but calmly sits there, and reaches over into the nothingness for a conveniently placed jug of water and a glass. While the other two quadrupeds panic most excellently, agonizing over this dilemma most dire, the human merely picks up the exhausted child, sits him on his lap and gently feeds him the glass of water.

"Twilight, miss Mayor, please, a moment of calm if you would." The soft yet firm tones of his words striking them like a slap to the face, with sheepish expression they return to their previous seats. Anxiously awaiting for an explanation.

Looking back to the exhausted boy in his lap, Farren raised his head up and gently asked him, "Spike I presume? Now, what is it that has you in such a state, don't speak too much but please tell us what is wrong." 

"Rarity, diamond dogs, trouble, help!" Spike gasped out before sleep took him by force and he fell back into the arms of Farren.

"Diamond dogs? Hmm, interesting..." the man mumbled as he stood up once more and cradled the sleeping dragon in his arms. "Twilight?"

"U-um, yes? What is it Farren?" the librarian sputtered, her wings ruffling in nervously.

"Could you please take Spike home? The poor child has obviously run here from quite a distance, hes absolutely exhausted." Passing a snoring Spike to Twilight, who took the boy into her magic, he then turned to the mayor. 

"Miss Mayor, could you please inform the town guard or some such authority to gather at the gem fields? I will go ahead and retrieve miss Rarity." with that, Farren turned to the doorway to leave, but was stopped by the ever stoic mayor.

"Farren, you can't. Those are diamond dogs! They're dangerous, and you can't handle them alone. Just wait for the town guard we can go in together and rescue miss Rarity then." replied the mayor, as Twilight looked over her brother in worry, checking for bruises and cuts. 

"Miss Mayor, I am older than the mountain upon which your rulers sit upon, I have seen more battle and bloodshed than the oldest of your veterans, and I have faced dire evils so horrifying, that even the gods themselves could not hope to face them alone, a few diamond dogs are well within my capabilities." As he spoke, he turned back to the agitated mayor, his eyes literally burning with emerald flames, "However I do understand your concerns, and that is why I am asking you to prepare your town guard, I am a little rusty after all, so I will most likely need the guard to be there to catch the stragglers that will try to escape."

Turning back to the doorway and stepping out into the lobby he left the mares with a final word, "There is a reason why I was called 'The Herald of Cinis." during my days in service to the Crown."


----------


"Wake up, gem hunter pony, wake up hurry." Rumbled a soft voice, its tone urgent yet unhurried. Again Rarity was assaulted by a soft barrage of pokes to her barrel, rousing her from her reluctant slumber. 

With a soft yawn, the pony raised her head from the folded up burlap bag that was her pillow and took in her surroundings, and found it wanting. She was underground, in a side room closed off by a metal barred door, which looked to be secured by a rusty padlock, barely keeping together. She then turned her attentions to her supposed "roommate" who for some reason was in here with her. 
Her fellow cellmate was a diamond dog, but with distinctly feminine features. Her face resembled that of a Boxer hound, her piercing blue eyes cutting through the near complete darkness of the subterranean accommodations barely lit by a sputtering torch somewhere down the hallway. She too wore a vest like that of her compatriots, but her front paws were chained together, her vest was threadbare and torn, her right eye sported a exceptional shiner, and she had bruises on just about every inch of her body that her blood caked fur covered. 

"You must wake up, pony, them be here soon, need you awake for gem hunting." the diamond dog rumbled, her voice rasping and wheezing worryingly.

"Oh my goodness, are you alright deary? You look terrible!" Rarity looked over her injured companion to and fro, each injury and wound compounding her worry tenfold.

Pushing her worried cellmate away with a wave of her paws, she huffed and settled back down into the corner of the dark cell, and began to lick at a wound on her arm, "Pah! Am fine, little scratch. No need worry. Heal soon."

Settling back down into her meager hay bed with a worried look, the white unicorn looked to her new companion, "Still...oh, very well. By the by, where are we? This place is absolutely ghastly." She asked looking around her dirt encrusted surroundings with abject disgust. "Oh where are my manners, my name is Rarity. What is your name miss...?"

"Name is Saphire, we in cell of diamond dog den. You are captured of northern diamond dogs, me southern dog. Was traveling. Found den. They find me, take over den. Then make mate with me and beat. When bored they mate, when angry they beat. They find you, you find gems, so you find gems for dogs, then dogs mate you, you find more gem. Is new life for you." Saphire wheezed out. 

"Oh...oh dear..." Rarity's face fell with each broken sentence, her hope plummeting to the depths of her soul as she realized that this horrid existence would be her life for as long as her new masters wished.

As the two inhabitants sat quietly, dreading the arrival of their captors, they heard something unexpected; the sounds of screaming and the deep rumbles of explosions. Frantic yips and howls echoed through the tunnel as more explosions shook the tunnels, and through all this coming chaos, there was a voice. This was no ordinary voice, no...this voice was wrathful, dark and thundering. While what was being said could not be made out, its inflections and tone was all too clear to those who heard it; 'it is foolishness to resist, do so and meet your doom.' Each explosion and the frantic howls and yipping of diamond dogs came ever closer with each passing moment. Until, a single scrawny diamond dog pup scrambled and pawed his way to the door of the cell, his blood red eyes wide in abject fear. In its paws was a rusty key on a bent key ring that he desperately clutched onto. Without another word he shakily shoved the key into the padlock and yanked it to the side, releasing the lock with a metallic snap. The padlock had barely enough time to fall from the door before it was pushed open, the door then secured and locked from inside by the pup, and then barred closed by the spear haft that the pup was holding.

While the pained howling continued the pup then turned to Saphire, and with tears in his eyes leaped and buried his face into her stomach, "Mommy!" came the muffled cry from the little pup, followed then by muted sobs as he bawled in his mother's arms.

"Ruby, my pup. You alive!" Saphire cried out in joy, "they said you die! They kill you many moons ago, they give me your bloody vest. But you safe! You alive! Am glad!" Wrapping her chained paws around her scraggly son, Saphire held him close, quietly shedding tears as she kissed her son on the head and rested her head on his.

This sweet moment does not last, as they are interrupted by another diamond dog, one much bigger and shaggier than the other two, as he slams into the bars of the cell door. 

"Hey! Open door stupid pup! Let me in now!" growled the dog in desperation, his anger and fear mixing into a volatile combination. Bashing his heavy frame into the cell door again, he tries frantically to barge his way in. "Stoopid pup! Why yoo lock door with spear!? Let me in! Hurry, before it finds me!" Now the howling has died down, and an eerie silence bogs down on the little group, then, they hear it; the crackling of flames and the jingle of metal.

"It herr! Let me in! LET ME IN NAO!!!" the diamond dog screams, his face blanching pure white underneath the dirty grey fur. "LET ME IN STOOPID PUP! IMMA KEEL U! LET ME IN NAAAAAOO-" 

With a bright green flash of fire and a loud 'FWOOOSH!' the diamond dog is sent flying further down the hall, the smell of burnt fur and flesh hanging heavy in the air. Then, the voice speaks.

"Slaium a hundur, mat a hundur."

The clang and jingle of armor with each heavy step heralds the arrival of the source of such fear and death, each thudding step a death knell for whoever was unfortunate enough to cross its path. What appeared infront of the battered door however, words could not do justice.

The black figure stood above all, its pointed helm carving a furrow into the ceiling. Its harsh looking mace soaked in blood, and within the recesses of the spiked helm gouts emerald fire burned where the eye holes were, lighting the poorly lit dungeon better than any mere torch would. Peering through the bars of the abused door, the black knight's burning gaze illuminated the confines of the cell, revealing the three terrified occupants within. With a huff of satisfaction and a nod, the towering figure then proceeded to walk through the cell door, the metal bars melting instantly to the touch. As he stood there looming over the terrified pony and dogs, the flames in his eyes flared and covered his whole self in bright emerald flame. Before the trio whirled and twirled a tornado of fire, and in an instant it was gone, and there stood Farren.

With a sigh of exhaustion, the man slumped down against the door frame, his face haggard and drawn in fatigue. Looking up at the now confused trio with a weary smile he turned to Rarity and said, "Hello there miss Rarity, forgive me for arriving so late...There was a pebble in my shoe and simply had to remove it. Then there was the riff raff back behind me a ways that where just absolutely determined keep me from retrieving you. Again, a thousand apologies for the delay."

After a moment to catch his breath, he stands up, brushes off his cloak, and peers out the door looking one way or the other, checking for more enemies. "Now...if you are able, shall we depart?"
> Chapter Eleven: The Herald of Cinis
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


[Warning: This chapter contains mature themes, if thats not for you please skip over this chapter. Thank you.]


Several Hours Earlier


Stepping out quietly into the abandoned streets of Ponyville, the human looked left, then right, and of course looked up, searching for any prying eyes looking to observe his secrets. Satisfied in the lack of any observers, hidden or otherwise, he brings his hands out from under his cloak and cups them just under his face, as if holding something precious with a care. Blowing gently into his cupped palms, a low green glow begins to shine from his hands like an ember. Cautiously holding his hands out, he gazed intently into the ember of emerald, and spoke some words unintelligible, like a whisper on the wind. 

"Brisingr, sja wiol pömnuria vard..."

Burning ever brighter in his gloved hands, the emerald ember burned brighter and brighter, flowering into a small candlelight flame. However, this little flame was at odds with the rules of the world, burning steady, bright, and pointing distinctly north, north-west. Looking up to the direction in question, Farren observed that there was an expansive rocky field in the distance. Satisfied by this, he then proceeded to walk briskly in this direction; his walking cane thumping along the dirt paths in his haste.

Arriving shortly at the fields in question. Looking a little tired, and standing on-top of a particularly large boulder (whose name is John, brother to Tom), he gazed out over the almost limitless expanse of dirt and boulders. After a few minutes of looking, he saw it; a few dozen holes in the ground arranged in a seemingly random pattern. Nodding to himself, Farren stepped off of his rock, and proceeded to stroll softly to the holes, looking around for a certain, specific hole. Again, it is discovered with an almost practiced ease. Brushing away the thin layer of dirt reveals a hastily put together hatch, made entirely of scrap metal, old wagon wheels, duck tape and dreams. Bringing his fist back, Farren slammed it down on the shoddy constructed door three times.


---------- 


Meanwhile, within the bowels of the diamond dog den, two sentries squat by the entrance of their den, their armor rusty and comprised of random junk, the spears they wielded nothing more than shards of metal tied to the ends of old broom handles with string and rope...whatever they could scavenge really. 

"...Rocket?"

"Yesh?"

"Why yoo think we here?"

"Is life's big not know yes? Are we come from random? Or Big Dog in sky? Yoo know, one who has plan for us? Me not know Bruiser, it make me not sleep..."

"..."

"..."

"Wut? Me no mean that, me say why we here, in burrow opening?"

"Oh, uh...yeh."

"What is talk-stuff about Big Dog in sky?"

"Hm? ...Is nothing Bruiser."

"...Yoo want talk about it?"

"No."

"Arr yoo sure?"

"Yesh."

"But really, why we out here??? We dig lots fake holes, no-one find real hole."

"Mhm."

"Us left home burrow, to get more gems. But, there more gems in big hills at home burrow."

"Yeh, but we go cuz Alpha sez we need be indepe- inderp- rrhg! Alone strong!"

"Yesh, but ther wuz other big hill not too far frum home big hill. Me thinks more gems there. If we go, we get moar gems ther."

"Yeh...also why taht anyway? I join pack to eat lots gems, and mate lots of she-dogs...but we out here, in pony land, takin gems and makin pony to work..."

"...we better in charge."

"yeh, your right!"

*CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!*

"Huh!? Who knock on door!? Rocket, get redy!"

"Who there!?" shouts the diamond dog, as both get their spears pointed towards the door in tense fear.

*"Let me in you mutts, I demand an audience with your Alpha!"*1 Comes a muffled, yet harsh voice from the other side.

*"It know our words! How?! It no sound like dog..."* Bruiser whispered to his companion, his eyes bulging out in surprise.

*"Do not know Bruiser"* Rocket whispered back, *"I guess we let in? He know knock as well..."*

*"...Ok."* 

Reluctantly, the larger dog of the two steps forward and unlatches the hatch before stepping back and calling for the intruder to enter. What lifts the hatch and drops into the small antechamber in the burrow, the dogs cannot make heads or tails of. It is a tall creature, a full head and shoulders taller than even Bruiser, who prided on being as large as his alpha, whom in turn was prideful of being taller than even the princesses. Looking up and into the dark recesses of the hooded figure's face, Bruiser realized that he could not see the intruder's face, even in both the sunlight streaming in on top and the torch burning in the wall right behind them. Gathering up his courage to speak, the dog was interrupted by a deep, sonorous voice that smashed any bravery they had like glass.

*"Do not bother to escort me, I know the path." the voice boomed, forcing the dogs to bow their heads and tuck their tails between their legs, whimpering in fear.

Without another word, the hooded figure glided between the two dogs and disappeared into the dark shadows of the tunnel leading deeper into the den. For a beat and a half, the two dogs looked down the tunnel, then they looked at each other, knowing that they had narrowly escaped death.


----------
 

One would assume that the heart of a diamond dog den would typically look like the primeval court of a kingdom of barely literate savages, wild yet regal in its composition. However, this is not so. In fact, the court of a diamond dog den is more akin to a rowdy and violent bar, poorly and crude is it's musical entertainment; more seedy than the worst of establishments it is a true hive of scum and villainy. Placed haphazardly throughout the massive cavern reeking of sex and sin, are rickety tables and chairs barely usable and some crudely fashioned from wood and some from scrap metal. Each table is packed with dogs, each patron either downing mugs of barely potable vodka brewed from cave mushrooms, arguing drunkenly with a rival or friend, or passed out on the table. Off to the right of the cavern, there sat the bar. The bar itself was like a miniature castle with a moat dug around the table in a "U" shape, with a small drawbridge at the front for delivering the booze. Opposite to this on the left are the tunnels, five in all, leading to Celestia knows where. At the back of the cavern, seated upon a throne of bones and scrap, sat the Alpha. Big and strong, this Alpha sat above all his pack members, the cairn of bones that made his throne about half way up the height of the cavern. By his feet sits three females claimed by him alone, however they are not she-dogs interestingly enough. One is an earth pony mare, her once bright orange coat matted and faded with what looks like months of abuse, her once beautiful silver mane torn and shredded short. The second one sitting on the other side is a strange bug horse of some kind, its chitinous hide cracked and scratched in places, the holes in its leg threaded by chains that tethered it to the throne, the once gossamer wings torn to shreds. The third...is another pony; a young teenage pegasus kneeling infront of the Alpha, her head between his legs, pleasuring her master though unwillingly. Each thrust of the Alpha's hips is accentuated by one of his large paws forcing the poor filly deeper onto his member. 

Once he had sated himself, the Alpha removed the dead eyed filly from his crotch, and threw her aside like a dirty rag. Leaning back into his throne, the Alpha looked out over his 'kingdom' and thought it 'good'. Suddenly, the music dies suddenly, and the many torches lighting the massive burrow begin to dim and sputter like a drowning man. A heavy and dead silence settles upon the diamond dogs. Squinting his eyes to peer into the growing darkness. Looking once, twice, and thrice over the subterranean space, the Alpha searches frantically for the source of this untimely interruption of festivities. Where, who, what would dare to interrupt his celebrations!? Where, damn this dark! By the Big Dog in the sky wher- There! There at the far end of the burrow, the gaping maw of the tunnel entrance leading to the surface. At this pitch black opening, there sat a pair of glowing green eyes alight with green fire, burning in the darkness.

"WHO THERE!? WHO DARES DISTURB ME!?" Demands the Alpha, his growling rumbling voice like a knife carving the thick silence.

What answers...is a voice deep and rich, its tongue like the crack and boom of black thunder, within the black words spoken by this being lay eons of wisdom and experience, this voice knew the world in its most infantile state, when the mountains where but hills and the oldest trees where but seeds yet to be planted. At the very uttering of each syllable, the torches within the room faded and sputtered as if the sheer weight behind each sentence was crushing the very life out of the flames. 

"Well met, Alpha. Dig Deep, Dig Fast." Boomed the voice, still not revealing itself from the tunnel entrance. 

"..."

"Are you not going to invite me into your den, Alpha? Is it not customary for the guest to wait until the host of the den has invited them in? I am waiting Alpha, test not my patience."

"E-enter...explain yourself!" uttered the Alpha, his voice faltering in surprise.

At his insistence, the intruder stepped forward into the dimly lit den. Walking with nary a sound on the hard stone floor, the intruder quietly walked through the center of the den, the way open and accentuated by ragged and ripped carpets of various colors and patterns, stolen from countless raids over the years. Coming to a stop just infront of the cairn on which the throne sat the hooded figure, its flaming eyes smoldering quietly, looked up at the Alpha.

"I have come here to retrieve a resident of the nearby town of Ponyville." he began, "And to ask a question."

"What is your question intruder? You dare to enter my den and demand things of me? You have alot of nerve!" growled the Alpha, his former confidence returning. 

The hooded figure's eyes flash once, then looking around at the den, looks back up at the Alpha and addresses him once more, "Why have you come here?" He asked, confusion appearing on the Alpha's face, "You and yours usually raid the Zebrican plains, and the Griffonian mountains where your dens lay."

"Well, yes...that is true, but we come here to new lands, for more spoils!" the Alpha retorted, a faint feeling of nervousness creeping back into the deepest parts of his mind.

"Oh? Is that why you have left your ancestral burrows, carved a path through the heart of Equestria, kidnapped the citizens of this land, raided and pillaged as you please, and subjugated them to your will? Do I have this right?" The stranger asked, his eyes beginning to burn again like candle flames, slowly growing with each moment. 

"Yes, this is plan... you have problem runt?" sneered the Alpha, looking down on the stranger with contempt and arrogance, "We raid, we take loot, we also take she-creatures, make good mates."

For a heartbeat, nothing was said. But, after taking a deep exasperated breath, the stranger addressed the Alpha once again, "Normally, yes. However I am more concerned about whether or not Ironjaw knows about your little foray into these lands. Does he know? Or have you done all this on the sly? If I remember correctly he did sign a treaty with Celestia stating that all diamond dogs were expressly forbidden from raiding and pillaging the lands of Equestria, and that the harming of any one of the ponies was grounds for war..." 

The Alpha's expression quickly changed from one of angry confusion to nervous befuddlement, who was this intruder!? How did he know such things?? Looking around the room the Alpha could see that the stranger's words were also having an effect on the diamond dogs, as they all murmured and looked to one another in confused worry. 

Putting on a mask of bravado, the Alpha then again spoke, "Pah! Ironjaw is an old dog with no bite left in him, he could not stop us leaving. That treaty was many moons ago, too many moons. How you know about it? All other dogs forget! How you know? Who you are?! Answer! Before I smash you!"

What the Alpha expected from his words, was for the stranger to finally crack and beg for his life. What actually happened was more unnerving, as the Alpha looked down at the stranger confident in his words, the stranger began to laugh. It was not mirth brought out by nerves, nor a facade to keep civility, no...this laugh was humorless, dead and menacing. He laughed, and it shook the Alpha to his core.

"How do I know you ask? My dear Alpha...I sat between the two of them as they signed the paper." The words struck like a thunderbolt, draining the color from the Alpha's face.

"No...no, no! You lie! Is not possible! You lie! You ar lying!" shouted the Alpha with ever growing hysteria, "I had enough! Kill him dogs!"

Moving in from all sides of the stranger, the diamond dogs closed in, but before they could dogpile him, the stranger bursts into roaring emerald flame! Startled and fearing the flames the dogs retreated, and from within the flames the stranger spoke, his voice now like a roaring forest fire.

I lie? I LIE!? Hear me you whimpering cur, for you are sorely ignorant of whom you face before you.I am older than the mountains your clan was birthed from, I planted the seeds to the oldest of forests. I have seen entire civilizations rise and fall in their entirety. I was old before you where ever conceived." With each word came a deep rumble as if the stranger's very voice shook the foundations of the world. 

HEAR ME DIAMOND DOG! YOU WISHED TO KNOW WHO I AM? I SHALL TELL YOU WHO I AM.I AM FARREN THE ETERNAL WANDERER, THE HERALD OF CINIS, MAGISTER TO THE OLD NATIONS OF YORE, SLAYER OF THE CHAOS GODS! I AM ALSO CALLED ANTIEKE GENEESHEER, MIGHTY FIREDRAKE, THE FORGEFATHER, AND VATERFLAMME! WEEP AND CRY OUT IN DESPAIR YOU SNIVELING MUTT! FOR I AM MANY THINGS, AND AS DECLARED BY THE MAKERS WHOM SHAPED THIS WORLD..." From within the whirling tornado of emerald flames, out stepped a being. Gone was the stranger from before, now this...monster had taken his place. Standing even taller than before, with two gouts of flame pouring from the eye sockets of its pointed helm, it raised its cruel looking war mace to point at the Alpha.





...I͗̐̃͆̅ͪ̓̄ͨ͑ͥ̑͂͗ͮͮ̈́̅͜͝͏̜͈̪̭̬̩̳̥̠̤̰̫͈͎̮̰͈̭ͅ ̴̧̻͍̺͕̼̳̥͉̭̹ͧ̓̎̅̑ͧͅA̶ͫ͂̎͌ͬ͊̄̂̓̄ͫ̅̂͟͝҉͙̪̝̪̻͍͖͙͍̥̹̼͎M̨̫̺̯̼̫̺̘̫̪̭ͦͤ̌͒͆̕͜͜͞ͅ ̵̬̩͎͖̰̜̟͒͐͗̍̈́ͭ͘͜͟͡Ŷͯ͋̾̍͒́̐͌ͧ̿̋̈́̒̾҉̢͍̤͎̖͚̺̣͔̲͕̳̱̭̼͢O̾̅̔͗̎̐̑̆҉̖͈̰͖͚̤͇̠̯̠͓̗͍̘̟̳̖͠͡͝U̶̢̞̠̞̞͚̞͊́̅ͧ̓́͊ͫͣ̈́͟Ṟ̷̦̜̦ͥͮͪ̑̓̀͋̍̿͌̂̓ͧ͒ ̨̳̟͔̯̥̲̙͙̜̱̓̾̍ͭ͋ͥͦ͌́ͪ̓̀ͅĒ̸̷̩̬̘̠͙̝͓̜͉̜̞̹͍̦̎ͨͦ̈͡ͅN̸͗̍̎ͫ̓ͮ͗̓ͤͣͥ͛͊ͪ͘҉̟͎͈͙͎̹̞̥͕͍D̡̡̋͗̓̇ͥ̈̍̒̋͊͛̔͗ͦ͏̺̗̖̯̺͉̰̭̱̟̗͕͇͘ͅ.̨̗̹̙̠̫̺̥͖͖̣̖̤͓͉̩̤̦ͫ̍̔̿̿ͨͯͯ͑́̊͊̈́̉̚̕͟͞ͅ




Without another word the steel clad demon swung his mace with a speed so fast the air cracked as it impacted the head of the nearest diamond dog. Sending the now decapitated body sailing into the far wall, splattering blood all over the other dogs, as if marking them for slaughter. Now turning to the right the knight held out his gauntlet, unleashing a torrent of green flames into a crowd of dogs, sending them into a howling, burning panic. The air grew heavy with the scent of burnt flesh, singed hair, and the iron tang of blood. Another dog in shoddy armor and a kinda sharp spear tried his luck and actually managed to spear the horrifying creature in the left armpit. However, the creature did not react, but instead tore the spear out of the unfortunate guard's grasp, before using it to impale another dog charging at him. With a meaty 'Splack!'  the spear tore a hole through the back of the diamond dog, its jagged tip now adorned with the guts of the dying dog like bizarre streamers made of flesh. Tossing aside the spear the knight then turned to the now weaponless dog before swinging his mace again and tearing the poor dog's head clean off his shoulders, sending a fountain of blood into the ceiling. Kicking aside the headless corpse, the knight then turned to face his new foe, but paused at the sight of a scrawny pup standing there shivering. Looking the pup in the eyes, the knight then pointed to the tunnels leading deeper in. Nodding in understanding, the pup ran, heading into the dark tunnels, only pausing by one of the corpses to pick up a key.

After slaughtering the diamond dogs without mercy, Farren realized that the Alpha had run off in the confusion. Following the hasty footsteps and the sound of banging and yelling, he turned the corner to see the Alpha banging desperately at the bars to what looked like a crude cell. Wasting no time, Farren then charged up a fireball... and hurled it with all his might.
> Chapter Twelve: A Fond Farewell...
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


----------


Stepping lightly out of the gaping hole in the ground, one rescued unicorn in arms, the now haggard looking human gazes sedately at his surroundings noticing the now beautiful sunset setting the sky alight with a beautiful compliment of color. Setting his charge down, he then reached back into the hole and pulled an equally disheveled diamond she-dog with her pup dangling from her back its scrawny arms wrapped around its mother's shoulders. 

Once they were out in the open, a pegasus clad in burnished iron lands infront of them, "Sir, we have apprehended two diamond dogs, shall we take those two into custody as well?" he asked, looking to the two in question. 

"That isn't necessary private, they are my wards as of this moment, and are now my responsibility." Farren replied, his words surprising as they were sudden, "However I do need your help, the Alpha of this den took several others prisoner, they're going to need medical attention. Please send in the medics." 

Nodding in confirmation, the pegasus flies off, and returns not minutes later with a small herd of medics. As they enter the tunnel to extract the other slaves, Farren and his group walk on. Coming to a stop at the town outskirts, the little group are met with the rest of the Elements, along with Rarity's little sister, and the mayor. Upon seeing her sister, Sweetie Belle ran to her, tears streaming from her face. As the two sisters embraced each other, Farren gestured to the mayor and Twilight to follow him.

"What did you want to talk about Farren? Is everything alright?" Twilight asked, looking up into the man's troubled face.

Looking back to the setting sun behind them Farren then looked back to the princess, his face set in grim acceptance. "Miss Sparkle," he began, "While miss Rarity and co are going to be fine, I do believe that I will have to take my leave soon enough."

"W-what? Why? You've only just arrived, what do you mean you'll need to leave soon?" questioned the mayor.

"When I rescued miss Rarity from the diamond dog den, I was forced into a violent confrontation. Because of me several dogs are now dead, and if word gets out about it and I am sure that it will, this event shall further distance me from the residents of this village who as far as I have seen have not seen such a scale of violence for many years." Farren replied, adjusting his small pack's straps as he did so. 

Shocked by his words, the pair just sat there in silence their eyes widening in realization at their seemingly gentle companion's actions, and by the fact that they now knew that several of the dark patches on his mottled green and brown cloak where in fact bloodstains. Their conversation was then summarily interrupted by the untimely arrival of a large herd of ponies...the pitchfork and torch wielding kind. 

"Ah, it seems I was spot on in my predictions. Miss Sparkle? Miss Mayor? Let us depart for the town hall, where we shall at least have some modicum of privacy." with that, Farren turned away to the rest of their companions to inform them of their destination. 

"What do we do now Princess?" Asked miss Mayor, her eyes wide with worry, "It seems like introducing him to the town calmly and helping him feel welcomed is now quite out of the question."

"I don't quite know, this is going to be a challenge thats for sure." Twilight replied, "I think I might need to defer to the princesses for this one..."

Any further speculation is cut off when there comes a cry of alarm from the mob, signalling to the group that they had been spotted. 

"There's the monster!"

"Get out of town! Leave us alone murderer!"

"Murderer! You slaughtered all those poor diamond dogs in cold blood!"

"Leave!"

"Look! It's cornered the Elements of Harmony, the fiend!"

"Its gonna kill that filly and the two dogs over there! Get it!!!"

As the mob grew more and more incensed, they began to swarm the group, desperately trying to get to the hooded figure in the center of the group. But, with a flick of its wrist, and a bright flash of green light, the figure vanished, along with the rest of the group accompanying it. Unbeknownst to them, a small herd of hoofprints, pawprints, and a single pair of footprints slowly padded away from the confused mob, heading into the town center.


----------


By the time they had arrived to the relative privacy and safety of the town hall, night had settled its vast wings over the land, the mob had subsided and gone home, and the moon with her company of stars rose up into the night to begin their nightly vigil. Their little merry band had set up shop in the lobby, either napping in the various chairs dotted around the room, or quietly talking to one another to pass the time. Standing up from his chair, Farren began to quietly amble his way to the doors leading outside, but was accosted by Sweetie Belle, who had just woken up.

"Mr. Farren? Where are you going?" the little filly yawned sleepily as she asked, her eyelids drooping back down.

"Go back to sleep little one, Im going out for a walk, I will be back before the sun rises."

"You pro-*yawn*-mise?"

"...Yes, I promise, go back to sleep, and dream..." Whispering the final word, a small puff of wispy green mist slipped out of his mouth, settling over the filly's head. With another yawn, Sweetie Belle lowered her head again, and drifted off to sleep as the hooded figure of her friend silently stood up, and slipped out past the doors into the cooling night.

Walking through the deserted streets of Ponyville, dark thoughts began to cloud Farren's mind. As night fell, so to did the temperature of the air, soon enough white puffs of mist would leave the dark recesses of the hood once in a while, creating a small trailing fog behind him as he strolled through the streets. With every step he took each and every insult that the mob had shouted at him came crashing down on his shoulders like a rolling wave thundering against the rocks. Still, he plodded steadily on, his eyes cast down to study the road, with no destination in mind.

"Monster..." Whispered the wind,

"Murderer..." 

"Foul Creature..."

Looking up from his ever darkening thoughts, threatening to drag him down into that black place where only madness lies, he realized that he had somehow walked right into the heart of the Ponyville Cemetery. Sparsely dotted out through the hilly, grassy area sat old crumbling gravestones, the most recent looking to be about half a century old. "...How fitting" he thought as he meandered through the gravestones, coming to a stop at the foot of a large hill, crowned with an old tree at the top. Walking up the dirt path leading to the top, Farren then came to rest at the base of the tree, setting himself down there, pulling his hood down lower over his face. As he gazed out over the grim looking graveyard, lit by the pale light of the moon...he wept. 

Again he was forced to take a life, when mercy would have sufficed, again the ponies he swore to protect had pushed him away, his very actions to save them condemning him to be hated by all and loved by none. All feared him, and so his loneliness burned in him like a corrosive venom. And so he wept, he sat there silently, tears streaming down his face as he sank ever lower and lower, it seemed like the dark had finally captured him for good.

"Hey there sonny, drinking in the moonlight?" Came a voice from his right, its tone warm and cozy, like a fire crackling away in the hearth during winter.

Looking to the source of the voice, there sat an old pegasus stallion. His fur and mane once a rich chocolate brown, now faded and silvery with age. He too was looking out over the graveyard, and on his flank was a faded cutiemark depicting a set of paint brushes and a palette resting on a blank easel. The wings on his back now missing feathers, grounding him in his final years. But still, he wore a warm smile and in his eyes he held nothing but kindness and compassion.

"Names Bob Paint, strange name I know, but its what my parents named me. Whats yours stranger?"

"...." 

"...Thats fine son, if you don't want to say then I won't pry."

"..."

"Im guessing your the one the folks in town got all riled up about?"

"..."

"Ah, don't mind it too much son, few folks in town myself included don't blame you for what you did, you did what you had to. It mean't keeping innocents safe and that's all that matters."

Taking a seat next to Farren and looking up to the stars with Farren, the old pony continued to talk. Warming up the night with his words of encouragement and reassurance. 


----------


"...And that's how my nephew lost his medical licence!" Bob finished, laughing out heartily, tears streaming from his eyes. At this point Farren had brightened up some and was chuckling along with him.

"Thanks Bob."

"Hmm? What for son? The story? Cause I got more where that came from if your interested."

"Well, not exactly, but thanks for being here, and cheering me up...Its been, a trying few days as of late."

"Well sonny, that just means your due for a couple of good days."

"I hope so."

"Welp, I guess I should be headin' out now son. You coming?"

"Im gonna stay here for a little longer Bob, thank you for asking. You have fun now."

"Alright then son, suit yourself. As for me, think I'll take a walk, find somethin' to paint maybe. The air tonight is making me rheumatic. If you need to talk, you know where to find me. Good Night Farren..."

Farren's eyes widened in surprise, "Wait!" he said, turning around to look back to the path leading down the hill, "How did you know my na-" 

The hill is empty, there is no sign of the old pony anywhere, not even hoofprints. Looking around in growing confusion, Farren spots something hidden underneath a patch of grass off to the left of the path leading down the hill. Stumbling over to the patch, pushing the grass aside with his right hand, he ignites a small flame on the tip of his finger on his left, illuminating the object. 

The old faded stone lies half buried in the grass and dirt, almost reclaimed by nature. Brushing away the dirt covering it, the inscription underneath reads:


"BOB PAINT"

"LOVING HUSBAND," 

"DOTING FATHER," 

"AND LOYAL SOLDIER OF HER MAJESTY'S 3RD AIR BATTALION, THE 'HELLFIRE HURRICANES'"

"FELL IN THE LINE OF DUTY DURING THE SECOND BATTLE OF GRIFFONIA PROTECTING THE PRINCESS FROM AN ASSASSIN"

"MAY HIS SACRIFICE NEVER BE FORGOTTEN AND HIS LEGACY LIVE ON IN HISTORY UNTIL THE END OF TIME."


A profound silence settles in the air, as Farren stares dumbly at the ancient gravestone. Sighing, Farren then goes to work clearing the stone. With a snap and a flash of fire, the grass around the stone is gone, leaving it clear in the open. After brushing away the last of the dirt from the stone, Farren then stood up, and began walking back to town, back to his friends. At the gate of the cemetery however, he hesitated, still indecisive, before being lightly pushed from behind. Stumbling out into the empty street, he looked back to see the faint faded figure of a pegasus pony clad in armor of ancient make. The old guard then stood at attention, and silently brought a hoof up in salute.

"Thank....you...." came a whisper in the faint breeze,

Waving goodbye one last time, Farren turned back to road, and walked into town, the spirit fading away behind him.


----------


Stepping inside the now almost empty lobby, Farren looked around for his friends, seeing that they had all gone home for the night, he then turned to leave, but was stopped by a familiar voice.

"Oh, Farren. Your back!" Twilight commented as she stepped out of the mayor's office. "Everypony has gone home for the night. Since I have the largest house, Im going to be accommodating you, the diamond she-dog, and her pup for tonight. Come on lets go." Walking out into the street with Twilight and Saphire with pup in tow, they turn left and head to the library. 

"Where were you Farren? You were gone for a good while." Twilight asked as she walked with him

Looking back to the path he had walked down, Farren replied, "...I went for a walk, to clear my head. I also...well, never mind about that. Lets go." With that, the group walked on into the night, heading home.
> Chapter Thirteen: The Summons
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Morning came with triumphant music bursting from the seams of the night, the birds crying out in jubilation of a new dawn. As the creatures of the forest and the ponies of the town all shook off their dreams and nighttime slumber, there was one creature who did not appreciate the bounties of daybreak. From within the recesses of a dark room, slumbered the creature, but as the sun rose a pale needle of sunlight slipped through the curtains, shining onto the creature's face...who then proceeded to sleepy grumble about "being to early...sassafrassgrmble...cutting it out little sunshine..." before rolling over and covering his head with the blanket provided. However the sun was not to be denied, and did something that it had not done for thousands of years; The sun then proceeded to shift over to the right a little bit before shining a bit brighter. Now, to those who knew no better they shrugged it off as being a brighter than usual morning, but the effect on the creature was more pronounced, as now the little sliver of sunlight shifted over to shine directly onto the creature's tightly shut eyes and shone right through them. 

"...Grmblwr, alright little Sunshine, alright Im up." grated a gravely voice, as the creature raised himself to the sitting position in his bed and glared accusingly at the shut blinds who had failed in their duty to keep their occupant sleeping peacefully through morning. 

Begrudgingly, Farren stood up in his decidedly cozy little room, rubbing the sleep from his eyes he inspected his room in more detail now that he had time to. The room itself was nothing special, decorated in a spartan fashion with a single set of the standard bed, table, chair affair. To be honest It looked more like a storage closet that was hastily converted into a spare room through the contrivances that is 'magic'(insert jazz hands here). Softly stumbling down the steps with lead feet, he slipped into the kitchen downstairs and proceeded to raid the pantry and fridge for supplies before getting down to business(-TO DEFEAT, THE HU-).


----------


After a few hiccups, a montage of epic proportions, a few cases of satanic crimes against food, and the traumatic experience that is Gummy; a distinctly seductively delicious smell wafted up through the tree house. After a few moments of silence, the quiet morning was interrupted by the frantic clip-clop-skitter-scrabble of the home's other two occupants making a mad dash for the source of the delicious smell. Turning the final corner into the kitchen, there waited Farren, sitting at the table, quietly sipping a mug of coffee. That wasn't all that noteworthy, however; what lay on the table infront of him was of greater import.

"PANCAKES!!!"

"Yes, I made a fresh batch this morning, care to have one?"

"YES."

For the next few minutes, the quiet air of the morning, carefully cultivated and cared for, was taken out back and shot by the noisy gobbling and smacking of lips as the cakes of the pan were dragged screaming into the void that was the stomach. After the great pancake massacre, the pony and her dragon brother both laid back in their chairs in satisfaction. Their belly's full and their minds now slipping into a food coma of epic proportions. But before they could fully succumb, they were woken back up once again by the sudden advent of Spike coughing up a scroll in a brighter than usual burst of dragonfire. Taking it in her magic, Twilight opened the scroll and proceeded to read it out loud;

"Dear Twilight, 

The scroll you sent to me regarding the incident with the diamond dogs troubles me greatly, as king Ironjaw did promise to keep his pack out of our lands in exchange for fair trade and willing assistance by our ponies. I know this is a bit sudden, but could you and Uncle Farren join us for the emergency summons today in the afternoon? It is imperative that Uncle be here for the proceedings, as I could not ask for a better witness, nor a more qualified adviser. Though please, ask him. He does not need to come if he does not wish. All the same, I will need an answer soon, as the Day Court will be starting soon.

Warmest Regards, Princess Celestia."

Looking up to the man in question Twilight saw that he was sitting still as stone in his seat, his face an unreadable expression of neutrality, and his hands clasping each other with tense contemplation.

"Farren? Do you wish to go? I know you had bad experiences with politics and such. You don't have to if you so wish." 

Standing  up, Farren quietly walks to the kitchen doorframe, resting his hand on the frame, he looks back to Twilight with a gaze burning with grim determination. 

"I have been called, I must answer. Pack your things Twilight, we are going to the meeting."


----------


Canterlot has been subject to many great events; the founding of Equestria, the Hearthswarming, Luna's Fall to Nightmare Moon, the subsequent Age of Strife in which three separate wars were fought, two in Griffonia, one in the Dragon lands, the Canterlot Revolution in which Celestia Culled the noble council and took over as princess in Canterlot, the final battle of the Everfree against Arachnia and her cabal of Spider-Ponies, The Return of Nightmare Moon, the reinstating of Luna as Princess, the rediscovery of the Elements of Harmony, Discord's Return, the Great Gala disaster, The Canterlot Wedding, and the rise of Princess Twilight Sparkle-Herald of Friendship and Harmony. But now, for the first time in eons since its founding, the rulers of the various nations across Equus have come together to Canterlot in a meeting to discuss and deliberate on matters of great importance. From the ice covered lands of Griffonia, to the scorching deserts of Saddle Arabia, come the rulers of each nation, or an adequate representative. What most expect from this meeting is nothing more than a reestablishment of borders and trade agreements, what was about to occur, was much more.

As the sun sank into it's afternoon setting, the train from Ponyville arrived without much pomp or ceremony, and the dignitaries that stepped forth from the car were not met with celebration and cheering, but an empty station. As it was a Sunday, the ponies of Canterlot had retreated into their homes to rest and relax for the afternoon. Trudging through the empty streets, Farren looked around at the very same city he had escaped all those years ago, everything familiar, yet different to him. 

"Are you alright Farren?" Twilight asked, noticing his wariness, "Do you want to go back?"

"No, no its not that Twilight, Im, just reminiscing about the times I spent here before. I must say, the city has changed much since I was here last..."

"Oh? How far back was that?"

"Hmm, was it...one hundred, no maybe two hundred years ago? No it was most definitely just shy of one hundred years."

"Oh, oh! What was it like back then? The records were all but blank about that period of time, only referring to it as 'The Canterlot Revolution'" Twilight's eyes sparkled in excitement as she asked her companion, her love for history and knowledge driving her forward as they walked through the empty streets of the city, "All I know is that Celestia told me that she had to remove the nobility at the time from their position of power, converting it into a council that held a fraction of the power over the city, and following that she moved here to keep an eye on them. Other than that the official records of that time are all wiped clean."

"Hmm, is that so? Well, for starters Canterlot was a busy place, the market was open all year round, the Hunter's guild and the Royal Guard bickered constantly, and the nobility were in charge, electing one of their own as governor of the city and keeping the peace."

"Hunter's guild? Whats that?" 

"The Hunter's guild was an organisation that recruited ponies and other creatures to keep the local monster population at bay and prevent them from interfering with pony life. While they did not believe in the absolute extermination of every monster species, they did strive to keep the numbers in check so that ponies could stay safe in their own homes or on the road."

"Oh, I see."

On and on Farren told Twilight this hidden history, the lives of the ponies during this time and the bureaucratic contrivances of the old Court system. Midway through telling a tale about one of his more, 'morally ambiguous' forays into the city, they arrived at the gates to the palace.  At the gate there stood two pony guards at attention, behind them and their impressive golden gate lay a bridge over an expansive moat and past that lay the keep. At the gate they are stopped by the guards who cross their spears and utter the time honored phrase, "Halt! Stand, and be recognized!" 

"Its me, Twilight Sparkle. Oh, is that you uncle Bulwark? I haven't seen you in ages!" Twilight said, her eyes lighting up in recognition of the guard on the right who looked a little older than his partner. 

"Hello there Princess, it is good to see you again." replied the old guard, his voice grating and low from his years in the Royal Guard yelling orders at recruits. "You are recognized and can pass. Welcome back to Canterlot."

"Uh, sir? What about this one?" came the uncertain voice of the other guard, obviously a recruit fresh out of basic on his first job by his shining armor, and quivering spear, "Do we let him pass?"

Looking to the other guest, Bulwark gazed into the shadowy recesses of the stranger's deep hood. "Who are you? State your business and intentions."

Stepping forward, the figure puts forward his hand from underneath his cloak and presents a badge in the shape of a shield with a curious design. While the recruit looks at this badge in suspicion and confusion, the older pony's eyes widen in surprise and surprisingly; reverance. 

Looking up to the figure, Bulwark stepped forward, "Quid est Officium?" he asked, using a phrase ages old. 

"Servitium ad Coronam Aeternam." Farren replied.

"Pass friend. I did not know that the Order survived. It is good to see you again sir." 

After the exchange, the gate opened with a small squeak. Stepping through, Farren and Twilight crossed the bridge and entered the keep.

"What was that about Farren?"

"You'll know soon Twilight, it has to do with the meeting today."


----------


Within the deep recesses of the castle, the meeting was taking place. Gathered around a circular table of impressive size, sat the leaders and various representatives of each nation on Equus that had allied itself with Equestria. Though it was a gathering of beings royal and noble in nature, dignified and civil these proceedings were not.

"Again I demand you show no tolerance to these dogs Celestia, they have gone too far this time!" bellowed a Minotaur of impressive size, his massive fist shaking the table.

"Yes, this I do believe, now is not the time to show reprieve." commented the Zebra Shaman sitting next to the Minotaur Chieftan.

"Still, one must consider that perhaps this was not of Strongjaw's doing, but in fact the actions of a splinter faction?" countered a griffon from the opposite side of the table, his claws tapping out a steady beat on the worn wood.

"Thank you for your input ambassador Friedrich. As for the rest of you, please keep your statements until the final members of our meeting arrive." came the soothing motherly tones of Celestia, before she takes a sip from her elaborate tea cup.

"Ahh yes, your supposed 'Uncle' and the new princess." the griffon ambassador said, resting his chin on his hand. "Though how a pony could come to be so old that you could call him 'Uncle'." 

"Well, ambassador, that is because he is not quite a pony..." replies Celestia, before the doors to the room are pushed open, admitting a Royal guard from outside who came in to announce the new arrivals to the meeting. 

"Dear ladies and lords, introducing Lady Twilight Sparkle; Princess of Friendship and Harmony, Magus Magnificent, Heir to the noble house of Starlight, Inheritor of Starswill's Will." Announced the guard, admitting the princess in question, who trotted in and took a seat next to Celestia blushing embarrassingly.

"Where is Farren Twilight? Did he decide to stay?" Celestia asked

"No Celestia, hes here, but he said that he needed to change before he arrived. Though why I don't kno-"

Again the door was opened and again the guard entered, cutting off Twilight. Pulling out a scroll from under his armor, the guard cleared his throat, announcing in a clear voice, "Dear ladies and lords, introducing Lord Farren; Grandmaster of the Order of the Night Phoenix, the Eternal Wanderer, and former adviser of the Everfree Castle Court." 

The doors opened wider, admitting Farren, no longer garbed in a dirty and torn hooded cloak, but clothed resplendent in black shining robes with silver lining. His hair now combed and groomed into a sensible yet stylish ponytail, and his beard now trimmed down to a stylish and neat beard/goatee combo. As he stepped into the room his eyes seemed to be two pieces of coal burning in emerald flame, the room was silent in awe as the imposing figure quietly and quickly stepped to Celestia's seat and took his position behind her left shoulder in a traditional adviser position.

"Ahem, now that everyone is here, let us begin the meeting in earnest." began Celestia, "I assume that all here know of the incident that had occurred in the nearby town of Ponyville, where a den of diamond dogs had taken up residence and had begun to ponynapp the townsfolk before being discovered and arrested by the local guard forces." Each representative nodded in agreement.

"This one still stands by this one's statement that Alpha Strongpaw did not authorize that pack to hunt there. It was a separate group acting out against Strongpaw orders, like Friedrich says." came the growling yet still pleasant voice of a diamond dog from another side of the table, nodding to the ambassador in question.

Stepping closer to Celestia, Farren leans in and whispers something to her, her face though remaining stoic and unmoving, does twitch a few times in reaction to the subtle suggestion. 

"My uncle here does have a question for you, ambassador Bolt." said Celestia, turning her head to the diamond dog, "How is Strongpaw these days? Doing well I hope?"

"Well...yes...Strongpaw is still...well...strong." came the reluctant reply from the ambassador, "Why do you ask, strange being?"

Turning his gaze to the ambassador, Farren replied, his voice smooth and sonorous, like a wave of warm air that curled around each being and settled their many worries.

"Dear ambassador, is it not of good constitution to ask for the health of one's friends? I ask merely because I am worried for my old companion and ally, it has been many moons since we last spoke, and I worry for him at times. Additionally, the Alpha of the den whom I confronted did say some alarming things, so I do wish to ask you of that as well."

"W-what do you wish this one to answer?" Came the barely audible reply, the ambassador's ears coming down and underneath the table, his tail began to curl underneath between his legs in submission to this being's imposing presence.

*"What is the true extent of Strongpaw's health? I do not believe that a dog in his position would have the years be lenient on him. Do not be coy I am intimate with diamond dog culture and your various traditions. I know of your kind's secret predilection for poisons and underhanded means of fighting. Now tell me; What Happened?"* Growling and grating came the harsh words, snapping everyone out of their trance, and none were more surprised than Bolt, who suddenly yelped and tried to back away from the table, only to fall out of his seat. Getting up onto his knees he lay prostrated there, whimpering in confused terror.

*"How do you know our words?! Only we know our words!"* exclaimed the ambassador in unnerved surprise

*"As I have said, He-Who-Runs-Quick, I am intimate with your culture and traditions. Know my name, for it is He-Who-Is-Father."* countered Farren, his words having a profound effect on the dog

*"No, it cant be!"* whimpered the dog

*"And yet it is, now, tell me."* came the firm yet gentle request

*"The Alpha is dying, Great One! Please help us! His sons have done nothing but fight each other for months, the dogs have split in two and one side has left for this land! Please, save us Father!"* Finally, came the whimpering reply.

Stepping towards the prostrated diamond dog, he knelt down and laid a hand on the stricken ambassador's shoulder, "there, that was all I needed, thank you. I will help you." And then held the dog's head in his hands and cradled him as he sat there whimpering. 

"What in the name of Vater was that!?" came the screeching shout, breaking the atmosphere of the room into even smaller pieces than before.

Looking up, Farren gazed upon the shocked and utterly befuddled faces of each of the ambassadors in the room, their expressions ranging from outright shock to absolute horror and fear. Patting the ambassador one more time before sitting him down in his chair, he faces the gathered ambassadors.

"My Apologies, I had some suspicions of my own and I asked my niece to allow me to pursue it." nodding to Celestia, Farren continues, "But to summarize it is true that the den of dogs within Ponyville did act out on their own. However the source of the problem is much more difficult and nuanced than what it first seems."

"Define, 'difficult' herr Farren." 

"What I mean Lord Friedrich, is that the diamond dog populace is undergoing a sort of civil war within the 12 clans in the mountains of Gryphus. Roughly half has split from the main group and went their separate ways to pillage and raid the lands of Ponyville."

"WHAT!?" came the collective shout from the gathered dignitaries. Followed by the thundering roar of each voice trying to be heard in a cacophony of noise.

"Maela"

Suddenly, all noise in the room cuts out. A heavy and thick silence settles on the room, each occupant save for two reaching for their throats and flapping their mouths open and closed desperately to speak. Celesta glared at her uncle playfully, semi-seriously she tapped her neck and waited. Shrugging, Farren gestured with his hand and sound came rushing back like a great river. However all within the room now looked to the princesses, waiting for her input. 

"Now then," Celestia said clapping her hooves together, "Let us discuss how to approach this particular problem, starting with looking for the remaining rouge dens within Equestria."
> Chapter Fourteen: Who Art thou?
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Just a moment Celestia, I have some words to say."

The meeting room grows tense as each member of the gathered council turn to the voice; Ambassador Friedrich, a grey and silver feathered griffin with piercing yellow eyes sets his gaze upon the newest member to the council, a strange being in his own right, who simply stands calm and aloof behind the seat of the diarch of the sun.

"Yes, Ambassador? What is it you wish to ask?"

"Just who is that...creature whom you call 'Uncle' who has joined this council today? I have not seen his kind before, and his methods are...odd," looking to the now diminished figure of the diamond dog representative sitting subdued in his chair across the table.

"Well, he is my Uncle. He raised me and my sister when we where fillies in the stead of our parents and previous guardian." Celestia replied, "I trust his judgement, and his methods while strange and sometimes upsetting, are efficient and in addition he takes great pains to ensure all parties are harmed as little as possible."

"Still, are you so naive to think that after that little...'display' that we would intrinsically trust it? I for one do not, what say you my colleagues?" looking to his other ambassaors, all but Celestia and Bolt nodded their heads in assent.

"Furthermore, it does not look all that impressive. Sure it can speak that...garish tongue that the dogs all yap and growl in their mountain dens at home, but he is nothing else other than a somewhat competent speaker with a few made up titles." 

"Ambassador Friedrich, you have gone too far!" exclaimed Celestia

"Be that as it may, I do wish to hear what our...'newest guest' has to say." soothing and musical are the tones of the Zebra shaman, "greetings dear stranger with eyes of emerald fire, what say you against this griffon's ire?"

For a moment Farren does not seem to react. However, he then turns to the diamond dog ambassador sitting in his chair, before switching back to look into the glaring eyes of the griffon ambassador, his prideful disposition curling a sneer onto his beak.

Taking a deep breath, the man begins to speak, "Griffon Ambassador Friedrich, I am and always will be; an adviser. I am nothing more and nothing less." Stepping from Celestia's side he walks to the nearby window and gazes out into the city, his arms clasped behind his back. "I understand that my recent actions have raised your suspicions and my aloof and seemingly uncaring demeanor has raised the hackles on your pride and attracted your ire. Please be lenient and allow for me to explain myself to you."

"Feh! Your words are empty and carry nothing but cheap flattery. The bureaucrats of my Kings court could teach you a thing or two I would think." spat the contemptuous words like so many sharp arrows from the sky. "Be plain and do not take me for a fool creature! All I see is a charlatan and a coward."

"You dare...." 

Before the griffon could spit another volley of hurtful dictation in Farren's direction, came the trembling, quiet yet furious voice of the Bolt, the diamond dog. 

"You dare to besmirch the *He-Who-Is-Called-Father*? The Great One? You dare to take his actions and words as nothing more than the suspicious meanderings of a pretender playing at court jester? You DARE!?"

"Ambassador Bolt, what is the matter with you, was he not just now demanding things of you in that tongue of yours and saying such hurtful things that drove you to tears? Was he not hostile in his manner and method? And yet you defend him now?" replied Friedrich, taken aback by the outburst.

"I asked him for help! He was firm in his insistence to know what I was hiding, and I did not know who he was at the time! But now...now I know and I am ashamed that I did not. Do you really not know who he is?"

It was at this time Farren put his hand on Bolt's shoulder to quiet him, "Calm yourself pup, I can handle this myself." 

"But, my lord, he has said such blasphemous things against you, this cannot stan-"

"It is enough. Allow me to handle this, please."

"...A-alright."

Now staring at Friedrich with an annoyed grimace, Farren spoke, his words sharp and quick, and his voice like a needle of ice into the minds of all who heard it.

"Hear me ambassador Friedrich, you wish to know who I am? Very well, I shall oblige you. I invoke the griffin challenge of 'Titel und Taten' You should know what it is."

While the griffin did know and was all the more in disbelief because of it, there where some who were more ignorant, namely Minotaur Chieftan Stronghammer, who raised his hand in inquiry. 

"What in the fiery forge's name is this 'titel tater' nonsense?" he asked

Before Friedrich could fire a volley of retorts with a summary issue of a duel to the death, Farren spoke up and explained, "Well, 'Titel und Taten' roughly translates to 'titles and deeds' from the language of griffins, it is a challenge issued by one party or the other where each party has a turn to boast of their many titles and deeds, the one with the better titles and greater deeds is declared the winner, and the loser must submit to the winner's authority. The conditions of the victory and loss can be dictated beforehand by a third party. In short, it is basically a glorified boasting match to determine who is better, Chieftan."

"I see...we have a similar challenge but instead of words we use works of our own making to do the speaking for us."

"Now then, Tia; could you dictate the conditions of the result of the bout for us?" asked Farren

"Of course uncle. The rules shall as follow: The loser must accept the winner's authority and his boasted titles and deeds to be absolute and in doing so, apologize for previous slights. Is this fair?" 

"Yes, Celestia, this is fair." replied Friedrich, a cocky grin on his face.

"Yes, I find this fair Tia. Thank you." added Farren, his expression still neutral and unreadable.

"Then, let us begin. The challenged is given the first bout. You may begin ambassador Friedrich." Celestia then sits back into her chair and the bout begins.

"My titles are many and my deeds are great. I am Friedrich Firewings, the Third of the Thirteen Lords of Gryphonia, next in line to the throne of Gryphonia. I am also called Quicksilver, Firebird, and Blitzjager. Drake Slayer, Hero of the Dragon wars, and Arbiter of the Gryphonia supreme court are my deeds. Know them and remember them well. I have laid my life bare for all to see and judge. Who Art Thou that challenges me?

The timber and fullness of the griffin's voice echoes through the room impressively, making the room vibrate with the weight of his words. Looking to the man now standing across the room with his head lowered, he huffed in satisfaction and sneered condescendingly down on his opponent. 

"What say you, creature? Or have you perhaps no titles or deeds to boast of?" guffawed Friedrich, in his mind his victory sure.

While the griffin sat back in his chair and laughed mockingly, Farren merely stood there his head lowered as if in defeat. Suddenly, his head slowly rose up, and what they all saw was fire. Flames licked at the edges of the man's eyes, bright and emerald were they. Farren's eyes had a profound change on them, gone where the white eyes with warm green pupils like leaves on a great tree, now there lay two pitch black pits, with pupils burning like brilliant resplendent jade stones. Looking deep into the eyes of this creature Friedrich saw age and wisdom too vast to comprehend. In the presence of this being, he was no more than an insignificant kitten playing with string. Taking in a deep breath, this being spoke only thirteen words.


"I am Vater Flamme. Hear my name and know your history, little kitten."


With that the being burst into flame, a tornado of green fire of all shades spins and twirls in place before suddenly snuffing out to reveal a massive griffin with coal black feathers edged with jade tips. A crown of flames burns above the griffin's head and adorned on his massive frame is a simple mismatched set of leather armor completed with a massive zweihander strapped to his back. Smoldering like two embers from a bonfire his bright green eyes cut a swath through the air, alighting on the now cowering form of the once proud ambassador. 

"Tell me, Friedrich Firewings, do I lack titles or perhaps am starved of deeds to boast of?" Thundered a voice like a raging storm, dark and terrible. 

"n-no, herr Vater..."

"What was that? Speak up child, and make your words heard."

"N-no, herr Vater...please forgive me. I did not know."

Walking up to the now stricken griffon, Farren raises a clawed hand. Flinching away Friedrich closes his eyes in fear of his death, but instead of the sensation of claws tearing his throat open, he felt a clawed hand on his shoulder. Looking up in confusion, he gazes into the eyes of one of the greatest historical figure in griffon history. 

"You are forgiven child. But let this serve as a lesson that while caution is good, it can be soured by pride."

Walking back to his spot next to Celestia, Farren's crown flares up and with a quick flash there stood again the man who walked in earlier.  Again, for the third time the room is silent. Suddenly Twilight, who had taken a backseat in all these shenanigans rose her hoof in desperate need of answers.

"Yes Twilight? What is it?" 

"Farren, just who are you?"

Sighing tiredly, Farren turned to the wall off to his left, and pressed a hidden switch in between the brickwork. A sharp click comes from behind the wall and out drops from above a chair similar to the ones already at the table. Taking the chair, Farren props up the chair against the wall, apart from the table and settles into the deep pillows with nary a sound. With not a care for the many eyes gazing upon him in various stages of apprehensive, he pulls out an old pipe, lighting it and taking a few puffs from it before addressing the council.

"You may want to sit back down, what I am about to say will be shocking at best, and madness inducing at worst." 

The ambassadors all sat down in their chairs as Farren began to reveal to them the true extent of his identity.

"Lords and ladies of many lands, many kingdoms, I am many things. I am to the Diamond dogs the one who is called Father, lord of the deepest mines, possessor of the shiniest gems and treasures with riches vast as the world itself. To the Gryphons of the Snowy North, I am VaterFlamme, the Father Flame, he who found the first few of their race all those millennia ago freezing and starving in a cave. I warmed their bodies with my flames, and hunted in the Eternal Blizzard to keep them and their chicks fed. From those humble beginnings I helped forge an empire that still stands to this day." 

Tapping out and refilling his pipe, he continued, each word a new color on this impressive tapestry of life. With each word...the revelation of who sat there in that chair drew on feelings of horror, awe, and even comfort.

"To the Dragons I am the Mighty Firedrake, the first and greatest of their kind, First King of the Isle of Drakes. I was the one who brought the dragons together and created a nation. To the Zebra of the Zebrican plains, I am Antieke Geneesheer, the Ancient Healer. He who came one day to their vast plains and saw that they were dying of an incurable disease, and in showing them the ways of medicine and alchemy; provided the beginnings for the second biggest nation on Equus."

As smoke from his pipe curled around him in a thick, contemplative cloud of mystery, the others began to see vague shapes twist and curl in the smoke, forming distinct figures acting out silent plays lost to time. Looking up from his emotionless gaze to look upon the now attentive gathering, he then looked to Celestia and Twilight.

"And to the Ponies of Equestria...." He said, his voice taking on a more warm tone, "To them I go by the most names and from them my deeds are well known. To the Ponies I am Uncle Farren, the Eternal Wanderer, the Herald of Cinis, the Grandmaster to the Order of the Night Phoenix, the Ghost of Frosty Fringe, Magistrate Farren of the Everfree Royal Court, Governor to Ponyville, Arbiter of the Grand Army of the Equestrian Royal Guard. My deeds are nothing to sneeze at as well, last I remember my deeds included; 'Slayer of Chaos Gods, Father of Equestria, and the Immortal General.' ...But yes, in short: I am an immortal being who was here at the beginning of the world and am as old as said world."

"Wait, you were governor of Ponyville? We have a mayor, not a governor." Interjected the purple pony princess, scratching her head in confusion, "Ponyville has always had a mayor since it's founding."

"Ah, but you must remember; after my...disappearance, any mention of me or anything connected to me was stricken from the official royal records by that snake Silvermorn. From Equestria's perspective, I never existed."

"Oh..."

"Its fine, but yes: At one time I was the First Governor of Ponyville. I like to think I was an alright governor during my time there."

Sitting there, the room settled into contemplative quiet. As each member thought back to their history, the stories told to them by their parents, the old legends carved into cave walls, and the ancient books that spoke of great deeds of yore. Turning back to the matters of the present, they began to talk, discussing the actions that must be taken to ensure the safety of the citizens, and overseeing the proceedings was Farren, sitting quietly apart, smoking his pipe.
> Chapter Fifteen: The General
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Stepping forth out of the now silent meeting chamber, the pony princesses and their human escort trot briskly along the halls, passing through a veritable maze of hallways and passage thoroughfares. Undaunted by the deceptively treacherous carpet hellbent on seeing them trip, they discussed fervently amongst themselves their next immediate course of action.

"So...what now?" Twilight eloquently asked, "I know we discussed that something needed to be done, but not how it is done specifically. How are we supposed to intercede in the civil war and hunt down all the rogue diamond dog packs?"

"First we need to organize the troops into a more active role. After, we may be able to send out groups to scout out the rogue dens and intercede in the civil war." Celestia replied

"Ah, but what about the means through this is accomplished my little sunshine? What of supplies, weapons, and means of transport? You were always so good at looking at the bigger picture, but unobservant of the finer details." added Farren, pausing for a moment to take a pull from his pipe, "At any rate, we must first see the state of the army before making any rash decisions. That reminds me, how has my army been in my absence dear niece?"

'Blush' did not do justice to describe the solar diarch's current state, it was as if the sun had come to reside in her very body as her face glowed bright with the brilliant radiance of a miniature red sun. Sputtering and almost falling over in surprise Twilight Sparkle bore witness to the second most important event in her life; her immortal and perfect mentor reduced to acting like a little filly who was caught doing something naughty and trying to hide it from her mildly disappointed father.

"..." As if sensing her discomfort most acutely, and also hearing her sputters of guilt, he suddenly comes to a abrupt stop, staring ahead, his face still and unmoving like the stones he stood upon. "Celesta, don't tell me...."

"Um...well, the royal guard has...become a little lax as of late, but that only is because of the unprecedented peace we've had for so many ye-"

"...How bad is it Celestia?"

"That's a very...difficult question to answer uncle, I mean, compared to the legends of old you honestly cannot expect today's regular farmer turned soldier to be able to come cl-"

"How. Bad. Is. It. Tell me." deep and smoothly sonorous was the demand. Yet in its dulcet tones lay a simmering anger that made the hall darken and groan in abject fear.

A moment of heavy silence followed, capped off with a deep sigh of resignation from Celesita, "...It would be best if I showed you uncle, this way." 


----------


The sun shone brightly down upon the open courtyard as the air was filled with the sounds of military drills, various verses of numerous marching cadences all mixing together into a dull beat. Thwack and bash, clash and crash rang through the sunny midday sun as weapons clashed on armor, or on other weapons. From somewhere in the throng of sweaty ponies came the faint shouting tones of a drill instructor laying low a fresh faced recruit with impunity. All in all, to most it was an impressive sight, truly a testament to the elite capabilities of the royal guard and their unwavering discipline and exceptional skill. However, there was one who looked upon this display of military might, and in his eyes there was naught but disappointment and a growing frustration.

"...Celestia, what has happened to my army?" soft and quiet was the question in its utterance, but the tone of the query was like the sharp stinging disappointment of a father catching his foal with their hoof in the cookie jar, multiplied by a trillion. 

Looking up to her uncle, Celestia mounted a brave verbal defense, "We had to make changes to keep up with modern times uncle, with the extended peace we have had it has been millennia since Equestria has seen any sort of war."

But the impotent rage that boiled within Farren would not be denied. "I leave for a few decades and this is what our glorious army has been reduced to? Gold-clad prissy ponies with no combat training and barely any experience? What happened to the Steel divisions? The Bronze air brigade? The Black Iron Rangers? The Silver Mage division?! These look like a bunch of Gold Royals that you replaced with foals from prissy sissy noble houses and put into barely enchanted and poorly strengthened pure gold armor and called them elite guards!"

"Uncle, I can explain!"

"....please tell me you didn't do this to our generals as well."

"..."

"Im going down there Celestia."

"Uncle no!"

"Im going down there and I am going to set them right."

"Please uncle have mercy!"

"You cannot stop me little sunshine, I am going down there."

"Wait uncle! Let us first meet with the General before you pass any judgement! Please? For your niece? ...Uncle?"

He had stopped, standing ramrod straight staring ahead blankly. Before him down the hall stood a unicorn with blond mane harshly berating a poor maid for an assumed slight. Among the sparkling blued marble halls, the royal purple carpets and tapestry this stallion's bright white coat shone in sharp contrast. It was almost funny that this seemingly regal noble in appearance possessed such a sharp and high voice, if not for its use in the harsh verbal lashing of the castle staff.

"Gah! You've poured boiling hot water all over me! Can you not watch where you are going?!" came the shrill cry from the stallion, his fur damp and steaming from his surprise bath.

Ashamed at her actions the maid begged in a wavering voice, "A thousand apologies your majesty! I did not mean to do it! Please forgive me!" 

"Stupid maid, I could sack you for this! I am Prince BlueBlood, heir to the throne of Canterlot! I could have you thrown in the dungeons for this!" however, once finished with his tirade he leaned over close to the maid mare, whispering something into her ear. At once her eyes bulged open in astonishment and abject horror, before dulling over in grim acceptance. She nodded somberly, picking up her now empty bucket and walking off with dull hoof steps. Seemingly satisfied with himself, the prince then turned around to discover his unintentional audience. 

"Ah, auntie, I um, I did not see you there. It is all taken care of, forgive me for my outburst. I was understandably not in the right state of mind."

Looking at her nephew with a neutral expression, Celestia then replied, "It is fine nephew, but please go have your burns looked at, I worry for you. Do try not to antagonize the castle staff so severely, they do not deserve such hostility."

"By your wish, Auntie. Now, if you would excuse me; I shall take my leave." With that, the prince walked off to the left, entering a side passage through a wooden door. 

Satisfied with how the encounter played out, Celestia turned to her companions to suggest they move along, however her words failed to reach her lips when she noticed her uncle's troubled expression. 

"Uncle, is something the matter?" she asked instead.

"No...it is fine, let us be away. You said we were going to meet with your 'General' as you put it?" shaking his head, Farren began to move again setting a brisk pace.

"Yes, we are off to see our royal guard captain general. His office is due south in the castle's barracks, come along."


----------


Within the palatial halls of Canterlot castle there are departments and various wings to house all the various employed ponies charged with the upkeep or some other service within the castle; be it from maid to the most steadfast guard. Now the trio had just entered the prestigious and militant halls of the Royal guard barracks when they were almost blown back out into the main corridor by shouting so loud, only the Royal Canterlot Voice would be louder. 

"YOU SHIT-SMEARED PILE OF BULLSHIT, WHEN I SAY YOU DO EXTRA PT, YOU WILL MAKE YOUR TROOPS DO PT UNTIL THEY FUCKING DIE! I WILL NOT ASK AGAIN, BY CELESITA'S HAIRY KALEIDOSCOPE BEARD I'VE BEEN ASKING FOR YEARS! I MAY BE SOON TO BE RETIRED BUT THIS OLD WAR HORSE CAN STILL BEND YOU OVER HIS KNEE AND PADDLE YOU RETARDED! DO I MAKE MYSEL-..."

It was at this moment that Celesita herself, resplendent in said beard, strolled through the door with a confused Twilight and a mirthfully grinning human in tow.

"I heard someone mention my beard, did you need something General?" Celestia softly inquired.

What greeted them was an odd sight to put it lightly. Within the spacious yet spartan barracks with its rows of bunk beds all prim and proper, there stood two stallions somewhere halfway down the rows of beds. On the right was a gold clad royal guard captain with a bright red helmet plume. Standing on the left was an old grizzled stallion with an older set of armor, worn and beaten from years of use, it was made of a strange black metal and seemed to drink in the light. With his black plumed helmet discarded on the cot behind him it was clear to see his silvery white coat, and his fiery red mane dulled with age. In the usual military fashion he had cropped his mane short into a sort of flattop, but had allowed for bushy sideburns to grow in. What was most noteworthy was the distinct triple line scar running down underneath his right eye, giving the old pony an air fierce and serious determination. 

Both stallions turned to Celestia and saluted her, "Well your Highness," the older pony began, "There is one thing..."

"Oh no you don't old timer" interjected the younger captain, "Do not try to bring the princess into our argument, my decisions as royal guard captain in the area of training and maintaining my men's equipment is absolute, my word in this matter is law." 

Disdainfully sneering at the older pony the captain then glanced at the others briefly, before looking back to the older pony who was now glaring at him. If looks could kill, the captain would have been nothing more than a fine mist. Snorting derisively, he continued his tirade.

"Face it 'General'" he said, somehow infusing the word with much contempt, "we have both read the same law books, and it does clearly state that; 'In the matter of training, supplying, and maintaining a division of the guard the guard division captain is given full authority to decide what is best for his troops...' Chapter 3, subsection 15, paragraph 25. It is law."

Convinced of his total victory, the captain then stood there with his nose held high in snobbish contempt, and his face aflush with a smugness not seen anywhere but on the most sleazy of nobles. An uncomfortable silence spreads across the room as the 'General' sits there fuming at him, with Celestia and Twilight silent, unable to interject. 

"Now, if you would excuse me, I must report to the Princesses. You are dismissed. Go, and take that scrapheap you call armor with you, your past your prime old timer, I don't know why our beloved princess keeps you ar-"

"Chapter 10, subsection 22, paragraph 2; 'In the event that a guard division captain is abusing their authority, deemed incapable of leading the guard division, and/or deemed unworthy of their position by either their guard division or by the Arbiter of the Grand Army of the Equestrian Royal Guard, the Arbiter or the eternal princesses have full unalienable authority to relieve the captain of their post and choose a replacement for the position.'" 

Everypony in the room turns to face the seemingly forgotten figure standing a bit behind the two princesses. He stood there with arms crossed and a stern expression on his face. Walking forward he stands before the guard captain, his sizable figure causing him to loom over the sneering pony. 

Looking up into his face, the pony captain just sneers and pretentiously continues, "And just what in Celestia's name are you? Some sort of mutant freak of nature? Magic experiment gone wrong? Anyway you don't have any authority to boss me around. You hear me? I know the guard manual inside and out and your fake law has no weight here. And in Chapter 12, subsec-" 

"Do not cite the old laws to me, little colt. I was there when they were written."

Captain Sharp Wit's entire tirade was brought to a grinding halt as those words were uttered, the room darkened slightly, and the floor trembled softly at the presence of this being, who now stood there with eyes ablaze in bright emerald fire. As sudden as the coming of this frightening being came, so to did it go. In an instant the room brightened once more and Farren had settled back down.

"By the powers vested in me by my position as Arbiter; Solar Guard Captain Sharp Wit, you are hereby relieved of your duties indefinitely, if you have a complaint in this sentence you are allowed to appeal to Celestia or Luna and the courts to plead your case. I have said my piece, you are dismissed."

Without a sound, the former captain silently stumbled out of the barracks, sans his armor of office and his badge. For just a few moments, the room regained a calm silence as tension faded out of the room. Walking over to the older pony, Farren then pinned the captain badge onto the peytral of the General. 

"General, I am reinstating you into the guard and promoting you to Solar Guard Captain with the capacity under my orders to become a temporary general for the army on the whole. Do not disappoint me."

"Very well sir," standing up a little straighter, the older pony seemed to grow younger by the second, "what do you need?"
> Chapter Sixteen: Far Over the Misty Mountains Cold...
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Far, far from the central territories of Equestria there lay a village on the very outskirts of the land of magic. Cold-Keep was its name, contributing to its year long winters, as well as its acute lack of proper heating within its singular and diminutive stone keep. Huddled close to this stone structure like ducklings hiding under their mother's wings were a few dozen little thatch huts and homes, with a few rickety wooden structures dotted around the neighborhood haphazardly. Winter was always present in this land, never spring, summer, or autumn, only winter. Save for a few scattered days when the howling winds died down and a moment of silent respite was allowed, this little outpost was constantly worn down by a perpetual blizzard. 

Frosty Feathers was a Cold-Keep native born and raised. All his life he had known the cold, it was his constant companion, his unspoken family, for as long as he lived he never knew anything else. Now he stood in the northern guard tower, casting his gaze out to the griffin border, that way lay nothing but a vast open field of snowy tundra with nary a tree in sight. On calmer days it was possible to send mirror signals to the griffin guard tower on the far side, however due to the eternal blizzard, all one could observe was a solid wall of snowflakes twisting and falling in the whipping winds. 

"By Celestia's warm fookin' teats its cold!" grumbled a harsh voice from off to his right. Glancing over he clapped eyes on his patrol partner, Ice Diamond, who was attempting to relight the black iron brazier which had gone out after being soaked by the sudden snowfall. 

"I thought the weather team said we'z had a normal bloody day t'day! Now me arse is bein frozen off cuz this bloody piece o' shite wont light!" he grumbled on, slapping the flint and steel together again with growing frustration. 

After a few moments the sparks seemed to catch and smoke started to weakly thread its way up before being whipped away by the harsh winds, "Finally, come on, stay lit-" however the smoke then stopped as the fire died once more. 

"Oh sod it all, feck yesself yeu bloody idjit fire!" 

Giving the brazier a good smack with his hoof, he then settled back into his chair and grumbled to himself in a constant low rumble. Frosty grinning at his partners antics turns back to continue his watch. What he saw however, chilled him more than the coldest of winters. Marching out of the snow were several hulking hunched-over shapes. First there was one, then two, then twelve, then twenty, then fifty, then a hundred. Carried on the wind came howls from a hundred throats, eerie and haunting it was, before they began to march once more across the snow towards the town. At that time Frosty's training finally kicked in and he began to yank desperately against the bell rope at the center of the tower, letting loose booming rings that echoed through the keep. 

"Mothah a' Mercy..." came the quiet mumble from Ice, who then scrambled to the small desk off to the side. Frantic scratching came from the desk as he scribbled out a letter on a scroll. As the bells from the other towers began to ring as well, Frosty had a hastily rolled up and sealed scroll shoved into his saddlebag by his partner. 

"Frosty, you have to take this letter to Canterlot, you're the fastest flier here and I know you can make it, Im packin a weeks worth of rations into yer pack as well so go, go and get help. Goddesses protect you colt." Ice grumbled as he hastily shoved the items into his partner's pack before nodding and watching Frosty Feathers leap off the tower, fading into the blizzard without nary a word. 


----------


"Very well sir," standing up a little straighter, the older pony seemed to grow younger by the second, "what do you need?"

"First, we need to-" Farren is then suddenly cut off as a guard bursts into the room, a scroll floating in his magic with an exhausted snow white pegasus guard in tow.

"Your Highness! A report from the Cold-Keep outpost!" 

"What is your report sergeant?"

Standing aside, the sergeant allows the exhausted pegasus guard to step forward. Contrary to the bright and flashy golden armor of the royal guard corps, this guard wore a set of battered and dull silver armor of an older make. This armor had dents and scratches denoting a history of active combat. Taking a deep breath to steady himself, the guard then begins to go through a series of complicated gestures and signals with his wings at a frantic pace. While Twilight and the other guards stare in confusion, Farren and Celestia's gaze hardens with each gesture made. Finishing his report, the pegasus guard then presents the scroll to Celestia, who then scans through the page with ever increasing worry while Farren then turns back to address the others in the room. 

"Cold-Keep is under attack by what appear to be diamond dogs, by the description of private Frosty Feathers here; a large number of hulking, hunched over figures came out of the blizzard in the direction of the griffin border and howled before charging towards the main gate. The last thing he saw before leaving was the group swarming the outer walls." 

"How did you get all of that? The private said nary a word." asked the sergeant.

"Sign Language, its an old language that I introduced so that beings who where mute or were rendered mute by injury could still communicate. Im surprised that it still exists." Farren explained, turning to his niece, "I take it you kept it alive all these years?"

She nodded in affirmation, addressing now the newly appointed captain she inquired, "How soon can we get a sortie out to the outpost captain?" 

"Princess, I cannot lie to you, by the time we could scrape together a decent sortie, the dogs will have moved on from the outpost an' will have already started raiding nearby settlements." he offered with a grim monotone, "the guard is not prepared enough for this."

Silence settles deeply into the barracks, hope begins to fade, all seemed lost; then Farren stepped forward, and spoke.

"I shall go."